Thank Goodness For The Military
by jennifer11
Summary: Navy Brat Bailey moves to Charming when her father gets transferred. She quickly finds herself falling for a Son. Will her father approve? What else will happen?
1. One

**Hey Reader,**

**I know what some of you may think. ("SOA is dangerous and 'grown up'. No place for high school girls. Juice was never in California during high school.") Well guess what, this is MY story so just relax and enjoy it. I'm trying something new and using some ideas rolling around in my head.**

**I hope you enjoy my story! Let me know by reviewing or messaging me. This is my second story and I love Sons of Anarchy.**

**-Jennifer11**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Sons of Anarchy or anything that Kurt Sutter created.**

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><p><em>*Ding!*<em>

I looked down at my iPhone and saw my best friend, Ashley, had texted me. I slid the unlock bar and read: "_Hey B. I miss you already. I can't believe you had to move away right before our senior year! You better keep in touch. Love you."_

A smile spread across my face as I texted her back: _"Ash, I don't know what I'm gonna do without you. Is it weird that I'm nervous? Please tell me that we're gonna stay bffs Love you too."_

After sending the text, I went back to staring out of the window of the backseat of my family's Ford Excursion. Mom and Dad were smiling in the front seats as we drove up Highway 99. I still couldn't wrap my head around the fact that we were going to be living in California. I was a little excited but definitely worried, 'what if the other teenagers teased me? Ashley was the only reason I fit in at all. She was the crazy, outgoing one while I was the shy, good girl. She helped me open up and make new friends, who would do that at my new school?'

Just as we passed a large wooden sign, I noticed Mom looking at me over her shoulder. She was trying to talk to me about something. I pulled the ear buds out of my ears, "What, mom?"

"I was just asking if you noticed the sign. 'Charming, our name says it all' How cute right?" I simply nodded, trying not to pick a fight with her just because I was anxious. "Oh hon, just try to hang in there. I know it's been a long drive. I'm sure everything will be fine." I put my headphones back in and tried to drown out my worries so I wouldn't have another anxiety attack.

My thoughts drifted back to when Dad told me about the move:

_I had just gotten home from school to find my parents sitting at the kitchen table. I could tell something was up as I grabbed a glass of juice from the refrigerator. Dad asked me to sit before breaking the news, "Bailey, we have some great news. I got a transfer today. I've been reassigned to Stockton, California. They're reopening the Navy base in the Port and I'm the man for the job. I hear the weather's better than here." _

_I felt so upset, "But daddy, I'm going to be a senior and Annapolis is our home." We had always lived on the naval base while Dad taught at the US Naval Academy. _

"_It'll be okay, you're going to college soon. This job pays more and we're gonna need the money to send you to a great school. Now, they don't have the base up and running yet so we can't live on the base. I've been told that Stockton isn't a great place to live so we're going to be staying in a small town just outside of it called Charming."_

_I stormed to my room and immediately texted Ashley._

Dad had stopped the car in front of a two-story house that was on a corner of two streets. "We're here, kiddo. And guess what? You're gonna have your own bathroom and a huge room to yourself. Much better than a cramped house on the naval base, huh?" I shrugged then I got out of the SUV. I grabbed my purse and backpack before following my parents into our new house.

A couple weeks ago, Mom had been out to make sure everything was set up and just right for our family. Most of our possessions were already moved in, we each only a couple of suitcases full of clothes to unpack. My parents were already inside by the time I got to the door. I looked around the tiled foyer and took in the new house. Mom had arranged everything and took advantage of all the space available. 'Dad was right, this place is very spacious.' I thought as I took my phone out of my pocket and took a picture to send to Ashley. I sent a quick text letting her know we had gotten there and that I'd call her later.

"Bailey, why don't you go get settled into your room? It's on the right side of the house. I hope you like it." Mom pointed to the stairs as I flashed a small smile then headed up the stairs that were on the left of the large, open, living room.

I got to the top of the stairs and found myself in a loft-like space that had been set up for Dad to have an office in. There were two short hallways leading away from the small area. I went down the one on the right and opened the door.

My smile grew as I peered into my new room. The walls were painted my favorite color, dark purple, and the furniture was new, white, and matching. There were pale yellow curtains hanging on the two windows and several picture frames were set up in almost the same spot they had been in my old room and the queen-sized bed was covered with a new lime green comforter and matching sheets. It was perfect; 'Mom really knows what I like'. I opened one of the doors inside my room and found the bathroom. It was standard: white tiles, bathtub, toilet, sink. Mom had hung a purple, green, and yellow striped shower curtain up, along with fluffy yellow towels and a green rug. I turned around and went across the room to the open the other door. I gasped when I found a huge, walk-in closet and full-sized mirror. Dad wasn't kidding when he said I would have my own space. Still amazed by the closet, I went to the bigger window to see what kind of view I would have. Pulling back the curtain, I saw that I had a view of some hills, houses, and the street below.

I turned when I heard a knock on the door; my parents were beaming at me, Dad was holding two large suitcases while Mom was holding a small gift-wrapped box. Dad set the bags in my closet, Mom sat on my bed, handing me the present. "We wanted to give you something as a thank you for being so understanding about the move. We know it's a big step and you had to leave your friends behind. Anyways, we appreciate your cooperation."

I quickly tore the paper back and opened the small box to find a car key. I looked up at my parents confused. Dad laughed, "Go find the garage, the real present is waiting for you."

I got up and raced downstairs to the garage, I flipped on the light switch and saw the black '69 Ford Mustang that Dad used to drive sitting there with a large red bow on top. It was cleaned up, the paint job must have been redone, and the seats looked reupholstered. "Oh my goodness! Thank you so much!" I cried out as I hugged my parents. I couldn't believe my eyes; my parents were making it very difficult to be angry with them for tearing me away from our home and my friends and school.

"I got one of the guys on the base to work on her and get her running smoothly again. Another guy fixed up the paint for you. I hope you like it." Dad said as I hugged him tightly. I was so ecstatic I couldn't speak; I just nodded like a bobble-head with a huge smile plastered on my face.

My parents was grinning at me and Mom nudged me towards the driver's side, "I'm glad you like it. Now let's get going, I'm starving."

I got into the drivers seat while Dad opened the garage door for me to back out. Once out and onto the street, my parents got into the passenger and back seats. We drove towards downtown, looking for a place to eat. I was just so excited to be in my new car that I had almost forgotten that I was famished.

They decided that we would eat at a family owned Italian restaurant. An hour later we were leaving, full and satisfied. Just as we opened the door, a parade of motorcycles came roaring down the street. I watched in awe as they rode by, taking in their look and leather vests. 'I wonder what it'd be like to be on the back of one of those.' I thought before shaking my head. 'Don't be stupid Bailey. Those guys are probably unruly and treat women like dirt.' I realized as I stood on the sidewalk by my car.

Mom was shaking her head, "Those death wheels are so damn loud and unsafe."

Dad crossed his arms over his chest, "No one told me there was a gang here. I thought Charming was supposed to be less dangerous than Stockton."

I shrugged and unlocked the car, getting in so they would get in too. We were the only people paying attention to the convoy of bikes. It was embarrassing and I had to start school next week. 'What if someone sees us and remembers, I will never fit in here.' They finally got into the car so I could drive them home.


	2. Two

**Hello there, just to let you know… I do not plan on following SoA's plot line but I may throw in a few events. Also, that first chapter was more of a prologue, an introduction of main characters. Hope you enjoy it!**

**-Jennifer11**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Sons of Anarchy or anything that Kurt Sutter created.**

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><p>The next week flew by. I spent most of the week unpacking and getting the rest of my things set up in my room. Mom took me shopping for a couple new outfits and school supplies too. Every chance I got; I was on Skype with Ashley. School in Maryland had already started and I wasn't going to be left out. She texted me all day from under her desk: telling me all the drama and giving me updates about our frenemies.<p>

I was definitely missing Ash but I was a little excited to see how I'd do on my own. I barely slept the night before but now here I was, the first day of school, parked in the Charming High School parking lot. It was packed with kids running towards each other, screaming, jumping, and excited to see their friends again. I texted Ashley to get one more boost of encouragement before getting out and heading in.

_Me: Ash, I'm so freaking nervous! What if I can't do this?_

_Ash: What if you can? Girl, get out there and rock that school. You're gonna be fine!_

_Me: I know, I just wish you were here._

_Ash: Just imagine I'm walking right next to you. Ooh gotta go, Josh is coming this way. Ttyl._

I groaned as I put my phone down. The past couple of days have been so hard to keep up with her. We used to be so close and I really hope our friendship doesn't fall apart.

I opened the door and grabbed my messenger bag, shoving my phone into the pocket of my jean shorts and pulled at my medium sized navy tee with Navy printed across it in yellow. The shirt was a little too big on me (I normally wear a small) but it used to be Ashley's and I wanted her with me to calm my nerves. I still remember the day we bought it and she cut the top of it a little to make it an off-the-shoulder shirt. Wearing it now, I had to wear a white boyfriend tank under it but it still looked better on Ashley.

As soon as my white Nike Shocks hit the pavement, I felt eyes on me. I tried to ignore it and remain calm as I shut the door, locked my car, and started towards the buildings lined with outdoor hallways. I kept my head up and shook back my medium-long, layered, wavy, dark brown hair. I found my way to the front office to pick up my schedule and a map. I prayed that I wouldn't get lost at all today but knowing my luck, I would, multiple times.

The first three of classes passed by and I hadn't gotten lost yet but I had to stand up to introduce myself to each class. None of the other students looked interested as I stood awkwardly in front of them. After lunch, I found my next two classes easily because they were right next to each other. 'Maybe this won't be so bad after all.' I thought as the bell rang.

Exiting that room and looking around, I could not find my way to my next and last class. 'Shoot, I just jinxed myself.' I was frantically looking at the map and schedule for a few minutes until I realized I was stuck in the hallway, alone, with no one to ask where to go. I tried to hurry down the hall before panic could set in; I turned a corner and ran into what felt like a brick wall.

I squeezed my eyes shut as I fell backwards, dropping a book, notebook, my bag, my map, and my schedule. I hit the ground, hard, letting out a soft gasp. My eyes travelling from the ground up to look at who I ran into. First thing I saw were black, leather work boots, then dark baggy jeans. Next I saw a navy shirt covered by a leather vest, like the ones I had seen last week on my first night in town. I finally raised my eyes to his face, finding him looking down at me concerned and seeing a mohawk on top of his head and tribal/lightning bolt tattoos on either side.

He reached a hand out to help me up, "Sorry 'bout that. You ok?" I shrugged and took his hand. He quickly righted me before stooping to pick up my things. He held my schedule in his hands for a little too long.

"Can I have that back?" I asked him.

"Oh sure." He handed me back the slightly crumpled piece of paper, "So, you lost?"

"How'd you know?" I looked at him confused.

"You're next class is on the other side of the school. You must be new." His face lit up, showing me his goofy looking smile.

"Uh, yeah. I am. Sorry for running into you." I said trying to get to class as quickly as possible.

I started to head the other way but he quickly caught up to me, "Well, hang on a minute." I stopped and turned to him. "I can show ya the way, if ya want."

"Ok, thank you, that'd be nice." The look in his eyes told me to try and find it for myself but I had already missed five minutes of class, on my first day. Never a good impression.

The guy started walking and I immediately fell into step with him as I followed him through the hallways. I studied the back of his vest and head, wondering about him. 'He's cute but an outlaw. Obviously this would never work. I didn't know that bad, biker boys actually attended class.'

After two minutes of silence and passing several doors, he stopped and opened one, revealing a teacher and a classroom full of students staring at us. The male teacher spoke, "Ah, Mr. Ortiz. How nice of you to join us. Take a seat." He pointed to one of the two seats in the back corner of the room. "And you must be… Ms. Jones. You can take the seat next to him. I'm sure you are tired of talking about yourself, huh?" I nodded and started towards the seat he gestured to. I was startled as he told the class about me. "Class, this is Bailey, she just moved from Maryland, and her father's in the Navy. Now onto what you really came here for: US History."

I couldn't tell if the teacher was being nice or rude to me, but my cheeks were burning as I settled into the seat, staring down at my notebook, avoiding every eye that was peering back at me. 'I wish Ash was here to do something to take all this attention off of me. She's always great at distracting people.'

Remembering Ashley, I picked my head up and watched the teacher intently. I noticed out of the corner of my eyes that eventually everyone turned back to the front, except one. The second the teacher turned his back to write on the board, I flipped my hair and turned to the guy next to me, Mr. Ortiz. I whispered to him, "Stop looking at me." He was still smiling at me then flashed me an extremely silly face.

I couldn't help but giggle, which caused the teacher to turn and look at us. "I expect this from you Mr. Ortiz but Ms. Jones? On your first day? Both of you…" He was pointing at us with a pen and scrawling something on a pad of paper. "…Come here. I believe you know where to go, Ortiz." I got to the front of the room, still shocked that I had gotten in trouble for doing almost nothing.

I looked down at the small, pink, rectangle he had handed me. 'Support Room? What the hell is Support Room?' I thought as I walked out of the room. 'Dad's gonna be so mad when he hears about this.' I pulled out my iPhone and sent Ash a text: _ohemgee! I just got in trouble. On the first day. Proud? My dad's gonna shit a brick._

The guy led the way down the hall and around a corner before stopping, I nearly ran into him again because I was busy texting Ashley. He caught me before I had the chance to stumble backwards. He was looking down at me apologetically, "Look. I'm sorry for getting you in trouble."

"It's fine, just tell me where we are going." I replied curtly, folding my arms across my chest.

"Well around here, detention is called 'Support Room' and instead of being after school, teachers can send you during class." He explained.

I covered my face with my hands, "Oh god, my dad's gonna kill me."

He touched my arm lightly, "Hey, Mr. Williams is one of the stricter teachers and gets pissed about the smallest thing."

"You don't know my dad." I said as I looked at him through my fingers. I nearly jerked away from his touch but I was too worried about what my dad was going to say.

_*Ding!*_ I looked down at my phone and saw Ashley's text: _Dang B, stirring it up without me! So proud. And don't worry about the Admiral. No offense but knowing you, it wasn't your fault._

I rolled my eyes and sent one back, totally ignoring the guy standing next to me. _You're right it wasn't my fault. This guy sitting next to me totally started it._

I looked back up at him, "So are you going to show me where to go?" He nodded and kept walking. After a couple more turns, he opened another door for us to enter. I followed his motions and handed the slip of paper to the person in charge. I took a seat in the front corner of the room, letting the guy find his own seat. He sat a several seats behind me and I resumed texting with Ashley.

Ash: _B, you already met a guy? Tell me, tell me, tell me!_

Me: _There is NO WAY I'm telling you about a random guy who I sit next to in class who got me in trouble. Nothing's going to happen there._

Ash: _COME ON. You haven't dated any one since Brett and he was a huge jerk._

Me: _Yah and I don't think I'm ready. Ash, it's just too soon._

Ash:_ It's been 6 months! Get over him and under someone else. ;)_

Me: _Seriously A, I'm NOT doing that. And I never slept with Brett. Remember? He never let that go._

Ash: _I know, I know. Sorry B. I just want you to be happy and not lonely over there. You deserve it._

I smiled as I read the last text, before I could respond the door opened and three guys wearing leather vests walked in and took seats near and around me. I stiffened but kept my eyes on my phone. I glanced up briefly to see that the guys sitting near me had vests on that were different than Mr. Ortiz's.

I stared at my phone and texted Ashley: _So I'm sitting here in detention and these other guys walked in. They're giving me a sketchy vibe._

Ash sent back: _Breathe girl. Nothing bad's gonna happen at school. If all else fails, kick their asses. Your dad taught you to box, hell you took on guys here!_

Me: _Yeah, whatever. Something tells me these guys fight dirty. They are gang members, Ash!_

Before I could receive another message, I heard the guy sitting next to me whispering. "Ay… Ay…Ay…" He was clearly trying to get my attention. I looked up and over at him, taking in his face for the first time. The boy was of Mexican decent, had a plaid shirt on that was buttoned up to his neck, tattoos poked out from his collar, and his hair was slicked back. He smirked at me, "Ay, bebe. When'd you roll into town? Lookin' for some fun? You's all sexy as hell…"

I froze, not sure what to say to him. "I um…" I looked back to my phone.

"Damn chica bonita. You just gonna ignore me, play me like that?" His friends were laughing and jeering at me.

He reached out and touched my forearm. I jerked away, "Don't touch me. Please." I whispered.

"Aw, c'mon now, puta. You know you want me." His hand brushed my cheek.

"Don't." I said as I leaned away from him. Of course, his friend on my other side touched my other arm. I trembled, not sure how to get away from them. The guy sitting behind me took my hair in his hand and was playing with it. I leaned forward, only causing him to pull my hair. Tears started to spring into my eyes.

"I believe she said, DON'T." I looked up to see Mr. Ortiz standing behind the other guys. The three other boys stood and there was a stare off. "Bailey, get up and go to the back of the room." He whispered.

'How'd he know my name?' I wondered as I did as he said, looking back over my shoulder at the group. I could feel the tension and aggression rising in the room. 'Are they going to fight? Here in detention?'

Before anything could happen, the door opened and another two guys came in wearing vests. They seemed to know Mr. Ortiz, quickly matching his mood and crossed their arms, almost threatening the other three. The two different groups were clearly rivals and the other three sat down, unhappy with their submission to Mr. Ortiz and his friends.

Mr. Ortiz and his friends made their way back to where I was now standing. "You could sit, ya know…" Mr. Ortiz said to me.

I sat, speechless. He sat next to me, his two friends sitting in front of me and on my other side. The friend in from of me was very tall and had very shaggy brown hair. His other friend was blonde, had the body of a swimmer, and very blue eyes. I tried not to look at them too much but the whole thing was just… curious.

I wanted to ask, but I wasn't sure what to do. Mr. Ortiz seemed to be hesitant too, but his eyes were hovering over me. "Um… how do you know my name?"

He blew out his breath, "Shoot girl, you dropped your schedule. I saw your name."

I turned and looked at him, "Well, you know my name. What's yours?"

He stuck out his hand, "Juice. And this is Opie and Jax."

I shook his hand timidly, "Nice to meet you? Um… thank you for that…"

"No problem. Just glad I could help." He friend gave him a glance and he corrected himself. "Sorry. Glad that WE could help. Anytime."

He still hadn't let go of my hand, "Um, you can let go now…"

He dropped my hand and smiled, "Sorry."

The next twenty minutes passed by in silence. The three guys sitting in the front of the room kept looking back towards me but with Opie in front of me, they couldn't get a good look. I guess I was grateful but it was still weird. I had completely forgotten about texting Ashley until the bell rang. I got up and had to wait for Opie, Jax, and Juice to move before I could leave.

Once they moved, I was able to walk out of the room. Since the day was over, I walked straight to the parking lot. I was so tired, I didn't want to try and sign up for any after school activities. Especially since I had all week to do that. I reached for my phone but realized I didn't have it. I must have left it in the 'Support Room'. I turned back around to see Juice was no more than ten feet behind me. He smiled when our eyes met, I flashed him a smile and was about to keep walking when Juice stopped me.

"You dropped this." He held out my iPhone.

"Oh. Thank you." I shyly smiled at him and then turned to go to my car.

I unlocked my car and got in, my eyes catching Juice looking in my direction. He was standing with his friends near a row of motorcycles. 'What is he looking at? Like this is really going to go anywhere.'

I drove home, trying not to get lost. I finally pulled up in front of my new house and I got out and went inside. My mom was waiting for me in the kitchen. The whole house smelled like fresh baked cookies.

"Hey, honey. How was your first day?" She called out as I set my bag down.

"It was fine, I guess." I walked into the kitchen and grabbed a cookie off the plate she set out.

"Yeah? Anything interesting happen?"

I could tell she was prying but I didn't know how to tell her. "Um, well… I was super embarrassed by almost every teacher and the kids all staring at me. Then in my last period, I got into trouble. Now, before you say anything, it wasn't my fault. This guy sitting next to me got in trouble and by association, I got in trouble."

"Oh my… is that it?" I nodded, worried she'd tell my dad. She must have read my mind, "Don't worry sweetie, I won't tell you father. We know you, and I know it was not you who is to blame." She poured me a glass of milk and then sat across from me on the bar stools at the counter.

I took a deep breath and sighed, "Well I'm going to go call Ash and do some homework and stuff… Thanks for the cookies."


	3. Three

**Hey Reader, glad you're enjoying this story, please review and let me know what you think.**

**-Jennifer11**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Sons of Anarchy or anything that Kurt Sutter created.**

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><p>The next couple of days went by with no incidents. I only saw Juice in class and a couple of times after school. Friday rolled around and I was excited to have a few days off so I could just relax. Going to a new school was tough, I barely knew anyone, I kept to myself all day, every day and it was getting old and boring.<p>

I was in the cafeteria, eating alone as usual. This was becoming my routine. Sitting alone, eating alone, talking to no one, texting Ashley whenever I got too bored.

Me: _Ash, I wish you were here. I'm not making any friends and I don't want to try out for any of those stupid after school activities._

Ash: _What about that guy who got you in trouble?_

Me:_ For one. His name is Juice. Two. He's not my type. Three. He's just a bad boy looking to break another heart. And I will not be his next victim._

Ash: _You never know, people can and will surprise you._

I went back to eating my sandwich, trying not to look around the room. I had kept my wardrobe to the same basic items: jean shorts, Nike sneakers, and generic tee shirts. If I had to be stuck in this place, I might as well dress comfortably. I was just passing the time, waiting for the weekend.

I finally made it to the last period of the day. I took my seat next to Juice, barely making eye contact with him. Mr. Williams started the class and was droning on about the Revolutionary War. I was trying to pay attention but I just wanted to go home and do something fun.

I felt Juice's eyes before I heard him whisper, "Hey Bailey." I shot him a bored look, "Uh, Jax is havin' a party tonight. You should come by…"

I didn't know if I should agree to come or not. "Um… ok."

"So… are you? Going to stop by?" He gave me this goofy looking smile.

I shrugged, "I dunno, Juice…"

"Ms. Jones? Is there something you'd like to share with the class?" Mr. Williams was almost glaring at me and then at Juice.

"I, um… No."

"Well if it's not important, maybe you'd like to keep it quiet so I can finish with my lecture."

Juice spoke up, "Well, sir, you see…"

"No. Mr. Ortiz, I don't see. Maybe I could see better if you and Ms. Jones went to the Support Room?"

Juice kept trying to talk his way out of it, "But Bailey didn't do anything…"

"I don't care. Let's go, you two." He scribbled onto the pink paper and handed it to Juice as he led us out of the room.

As the door shut I groaned, "What is that man's problem?"

Juice shook his head, "I'm pretty sure he pre-judged us. And by us, I mean me." He motioned and pulled his vest away from his chest.

"I don't get it…" I said as we walked down the hallway.

"Of course you don't. You've only been in this town for a short time. You see, some people that live here, don't like people like me."

"People like you?" I looked at him questionably.

He looked away, "Yes. You see, I'm part of this club. We ride bikes, fix cars, and hang out. Some people in town don't understand or they think that we're a "gang". We're not at all like that."

I didn't want to insult him but I had so many questions. "So… what are you guys like?"

"Well, we just help out. We try to protect some of the older community. Keep Charming the way it is, you know?"

"So you don't hurt people or do anything illegal?" I looked down, trying to avoid him.

"Well… sometimes, things happen for the greater good." He opened the door to detention, which killed the conversation. But I had so many other questions that needed answers.

Juice sat in his usual seat and this time I sat next to him. I looked him over before turning back to the front and pulling out my homework. I started working on it while Juice did Lord knows what. Here I was, in trouble again for something Juice did. This time he did try to convince the teacher that I hadn't done anything. I guess that was nice, but I can't keep getting sent to detention.

Ten minutes later, I had finished half of my ridiculously easy homework. However, the door opened and the two of the same guys from the first day walked in. The leader of them smirked in my direction and I stiffened again. I hope he won't sit near me or say anything to me. I don't want to deal with this again.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw Juice sit up a little more in his chair. I was worried and I didn't want him to get into more trouble because of me. The two guys sat two rows in front of Juice and I. It was a little too close for comfort. I wanted to get up and leave but I was in detention, I didn't think that was allowed.

The bell finally rang, the two guys left, and then Juice stood up, "Sorry about getting you sent here again. But you should stop by the party later." He handed me a small piece of paper before walking out of the room.

I looked at the paper, it had a number and an address on it. Did her really think I'd just show up? I'm not that type of girl. I got up and left, walking quickly to my car so I could Skype with Ash as soon as possible about this whole mess. I just reached the asphalt when I realized I didn't have my phone. I retraced my steps and found my phone on the floor under the desk I had been at. I knelt and picked it up. I saw Ashley had left me a message so I quickly swiped the unlock bar and read it.

Ash: _Girl. Please tell me you're doing something to get out of your comfort zone._

I rolled my eyes and then texted her back: _Yeah actually, I just got invited to a party… I was gonna skype with you later and ask for your advice._

I heard the door slam shut and I quickly jumped up and whirled around. It was same guy who was leering at me earlier. He was leaning against the door, his eyes on me. I gripped the strap of my bag tightly. "Um, can I help you?"

He didn't say a word, just sauntered towards me. I was starting to feel very uncomfortable. I tried to walk another way around the bunch of desks but he easily blocked me. "Where you goin' puta? You's sexy and I wanna taste."

I froze and he kept advancing towards me. I tried to dodge him and run for the door but her grabbed me and shoved me down onto the floor. I cried out as I hit the ground roughly. I clawed at him, scratching, trying anything to get him off and away from me. He nearly had me pinned and I was desperate to get out of his reach. I knew what would happen if I stopped fighting.

"Please, no, stop." I begged.

He slapped me and began tearing at my clothes. "Shut up, hoe."

Tears were streaming down my face and I was terrified. Suddenly he was thrown away from me. I quickly rolled over and crawled towards the back of the room. I curled myself tightly into a ball, pulling my legs up to me chest and burying my head in my arms. I felt my lungs burning, the tears swelling in my eyes, and my cheek was stinging. I couldn't hear much other than my heart pounding in my ears. All I could think to myself was: This wouldn't happen if I hadn't left Maryland.

Normally I could kick anyone's ass, but I was blindsided and scared because of his reputation. Why was I so nervous all the time? I thought to myself as I kept myself huddled in the corner.

I felt someone touch my arm and I jumped, shrieking as whoever it was pulled back. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean…" I hear a male voice mutter.

I didn't want to look up to see it who it was but they sounded very kind. I finally mustered the courage to take a peak. What I saw was a very blurry Juice. I wiped at my eyes a little as he squatted near me, not touching me. I had managed to control my tears and looked around the room, seeing no one else was there.

"Where did–?" I looked back at Juice.

He cut me off, "Don't you worry about that. Are you ok?" I stared at him. He seemed genuinely concerned about what happened to me. I couldn't answer him, I was still shaking. "Would you mind if I touched you?" He asked me. He knelt next to me and slowly put his arms around me. I whimpered and tensed as he eased around me. "Shh… it's alright. Everything's fine." I started sobbing again as I leaned into him. He just held onto me for a few more moments as I let it out.

I finally was able to take some deep breaths, trying to forget what happened. It felt good to have him holding me, like he was keeping me from truly falling apart. After another minute he handed me a couple tissues. I wiped at my eyes and nose, cleaning myself up as well as I could. Juice moved a few inches away from me to give me some space. He gave me a second before standing and then extending his hand to me to help me up.

When I hesitated he gave me a small smile, "I'm not gonna bite. I just wanna get you out of here. And make sure you get home safe."

I carefully placed my hand in his and let him pull me up. He made sure I was standing on my own two feet before handing me my bag and cell phone. I took them and looked down, seeing that my plain pink shirt was ripped at the collar and my shorts were undone. I blushed feeling embarrassed. I quickly buttoned and zipped my shorts but I was unsure of what to do about my shirt.

Juice slowly led me out of the room, looking around before walking me to the parking lot. He didn't touch me but he stayed close, making sure I didn't stop or get freaked out. We finally made it to my car and I paused for a second. I pointed to my cheek, "Do I have a uh, bruise or red mark?" He shook his head, "Ok um… thank you. For what you know..."

"Don't mention it. It's fine." He kicked at a few rocks as he waited for me to get into my car. "Are you ok to drive?"

I looked around the parking lot, not seeing the guy who had attacked me, but I saw a couple of Juice's friends on the other side. "I um, I think I can handle it."

"Ok, well you have my number if you want to talk or need anything, just call." He gave me a polite smile and walked over to his friends.

I watching him go before getting into my car. I took a deep breath before starting my car. I turned on my stereo and let some soothing songs play as I drove slowly home. I looked in the mirror and saw my puffy eyes, red cheek, and the rip down my shirt. What will my dad say?

I was so focused on where I was driving that I almost got lost. I finally pulled up outside my house and my mom came running across the lawn. I looked at what time it was, seeing I was at least an hour and a half late. I got out of my car and heard motorcycles rumble by. Between my mom and the mess I'd been through, I only caught a glimpse of Juice riding past me. What the hell is going on?

My mom grabbed me and said in a raised voice, "Where the hell have you been? What the hell happened to your shirt? Good lord, child…" She gasped as she got a good look at me. She quickly wrapped her arm around me and ushered me inside. She sat me down on the couch and pulled a blanket around me. She went to get a frozen bag of peas and pressed it against my cheek. "Now tell me what happened."

I flinched and looked down at my lap. "Mom… I… This guy, he… he cornered me and tried to… he tried…" I started crying and my mom scooped me up in her arms and held me tightly.

She rocked me back and forth as we sat on the couch. My dad came home and was shocked to find dinner not ready and us still sitting on the couch. I had closed my eyes but nearly jumped up to the sound of the door shutting. My mom left me with the TV on while she took my dad into the other room to tell him the story she got from me.

My dad came back into the room, his hand over his mouth as he sat next to me. "Hey sweetheart… Your momma told me about… I just think it'd be a good idea to go have a little chat with the police. I know you may not-"

I nodded my head, "Ok."

My dad nodded and got up, "Alright then, come on honey." He held out his arms and I rose to be enveloped by him. "You'll be fine, I promise."

He helped me to his SUV and then got in and drove us to the Charming Police station. My mom stayed behind to cook dinner for us. I was nervous. What if this guy found out and came back? Would Juice always be there to stop him? Why did Juice do anything today?

I blushed as my dad steered me into the station and got an officer to take my statement. They had to take pictures of my face, skin, and clothing to make sure that they could keep things as accurate as possible. It was starting to make me feel overwhelmed but my dad just held my hand and squeezed a little to let me feel his support.

After repeating my story a couple of times to several different officers, the chief of police came into the room, "Hi there, I'm Chief Unser. I know it's been tough but can you tell me one more time, what happened?"

I gulped and looked at my dad before turning my eyes back to the table. "I was at school, I got sent to detention because of an unfair reason. After the bell rang, I realized I forgot my phone so I went back to get it. A couple minutes later, this guy cornered me and lunged at me, knocking me down and then he slapped me. He called me awful names and then… he was gone."

"He was gone? Just like that?" The chief looked at me, his eyes full of doubt.

"Well… at that point, I wasn't looking. I got out of the way, fast. The next thing I know, Juice… um Ortiz was the only one in the room with me."

"And you're sure Juice wasn't the one to hurt you?"

I shook my head, "No. He was only there to help me and then he walked me to my car."

The man wrote a few things down on a legal pad, "And how do you know Juice?"

"He sits next to me in class and was the one to get me into trouble and sent to support room."

"Ah. I see…" He scribbled some more things down.

"No… please, he didn't do anything wrong. The teacher was just really hard on us."

"That's just fine. Now, what did this other boy's patches look like?"

"His what?" I asked, completely confused by the question.

"What color were the symbols on his cut? You know, his vest."

What the hell was he saying? His cut? Is that what they call the leather vests? So this guy was a gang member? "Um… it was orange I think."

"So in no way, was it blue?"

"No. Not blue."

"Ok, great. Thanks. We'll be in touch, if you need anything, you let us know." He stood and shook my dad's hand. I kept my hands to myself, not offering mine to him.

My dad loaded me back into the SUV and drove us back home. I wrapped the blanket around myself again, feeling more comfortable to be back in the car. I could feel myself about to cry, but I tried to hold it together for my dad.

At a stop light, there was an awkward silence, "Daddy, I'm sorry." I whispered.

He looked over at me, "Sweetie, I don't want you to ever apologize for this. What happened was NOT your fault. That asshole took advantage of you and the situation. Don't you ever feel bad for someone hurting you."

I nodded and wiped a tear off my cheek. "Ok daddy." He held my hand the rest of the way home.

Once we got there, I sat back down on the couch. My mom had made some chicken and rice, it was good but I didn't have much of an appetite. She took my uneaten food away and kissed my forehead. I just wanted to sit and watch TV, trying to forget everything that happened.

"Oh, honey, you left your phone here and Ashley's called several times. I told her a little bit about what happened, she said you could call her back whenever you get the chance."

I nodded and took my phone off the table, holding it in my hand, trying to find the nerve to call her. I decided to text her instead: _Ash, my mom told me she told you. I'm real tired, I'll call you tomorrow._

I set my phone down next to me and leaned back into the couch. My dad was in his recliner watching sports as my eyes drifted to the screen. A few minutes later, I heard my phone go off. _*Ding!*_ I picked up my phone expecting to see Ashley's response. Instead it was a text from a number I didn't know.

_Hey Bailey, I just wanted to make sure you were doing alright. Let me know if you need anything. –Juice._

How'd he get my number? I wondered as I thought of a response. It's very thoughtful of him to ask. _Juice, I'm doing fine, thank you for everything._ I quickly hit send before I could second-guess myself. I sank down into the couch and blanket, my eyes getting tired and heavy. I fell asleep before Ashley or Juice texted me back.


	4. Delay

Hey Reader,

I was just about to finish up my next chapter and post it when... I spilled a cup of Coke on my desk and consequently my laptop. Hence, I think I have to start the chapter over. :(

Let's just hope I don't have to buy a new laptop.

-Jennifer11


	5. Four

**Hey Reader, **

**So the good news is, my laptop is NOT dead! Yay! I was able to recover my story, mash it together with some of my new thoughts and finish it. Thank God I don't have to buy a new laptop. I'm sorry it's been taking me forever to post, my job is crazy but I love it for the most part. Thanks for bearing with me and continuing to show your support. it means SO much to me, I could never express how much. Leave your comments in the reviews please!  
><strong>

**-Jennifer11**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Sons of Anarchy or anything that Kurt Sutter created.**

* * *

><p>I spent the weekend moping around the house, sitting on the couch or laying in bed. My mom hovered in between her baking sessions. Whenever she was upset or worried, she'd bake cookies, cupcakes, and brownies. My dad reluctantly went to work to continue sprucing up the Naval base so we could move there soon. I stuffed my face with the delicious desserts while watching or staring blankly at the TV.<p>

Sunday morning, I was seriously dreading going to school until I got a text from the same number that Juice texted me on Friday. '_Hey Bailey, you still doing ok? – Juice_'

I had still been thinking about how he'd saved me and gotten my number, this text just added to my confusion. I don't know what to say to him. Why is he so interested? I'm just a normal girl and he's a typical bad boy. Or so I thought, I guess I was wrong. He seemed to care about my safety and still does even though he's only known me for a week. When I dated Brett, he would never text me when I was sick or feeling down. He only cared about himself, texting me to ask if I'd do something for him even though I was sick. I just can't fall for another jerk. I barely know Juice and he didn't know me. There was something about him that seemed different that made me unable to stop thinking about it.

I decided to send something back: '_I'm fine, I guess, how are you?_' After pressing send, I added the number to my contacts under Juice Ortiz. Somehow, he makes me extremely nervous. Should I trust him?

I curled myself into a ball and pulled a blanket over my legs, trying to keep calm. It didn't take long for Juice to respond: _I'm great but how are you REALLY doing?_

Did he really just ask that? He can't possibly know or care about how I feel. Still being the nice, good girl, I didn't want to respond rudely. After all, he was just trying to help, right?

_Worried, nervous, scared? I don't know..._ I hesitated before sending this message. I was like exposing a fresh wound to a whole shaker of salt. Ashley was right, I have to get myself out there and experience the world. I pressed the send button before covering my face. What did I just do? I asked myself for several minutes.

"Honey, are you still ok? Do you want something else to eat?" I heard my mom call from the kitchen.

"I'm fine." I answered quietly as I received Juice's reply: _I'm so sorry that this happened to you. If you ever need help, just text or call me. Are you going to school tomorrow?_

I hadn't really thought about it. I know that my parents will possibly want me to stay home and probably never leave their sight again. It was very nice of Juice to offer his help but I still wasn't sure I could trust him 100%. So far, he's been nothing but friendly, honest, and trustworthy…

So I said: _I don't know. Maybe._

Less than a few minutes later, I got a response: 'I_ hope so._'

He hopes so? I wondered as I sank back into the couch and thought about Juice. I doubt my father would approve, he's covered in tattoos and a drives a motorcycle. But Juice seems so different. I was completely off when I judged him based on a first impression. It truly surprised, how wrong I was.

I felt a few flutters in my stomach as I thought about Juice and what happened Friday. I know my mom and dad would want me to stay home so they can keep a close eye on me and so nothing else could happen to me. I caught myself smiling as I thought about him: how he acted, how he talked, and how cute he was. Shaking my head, I mentally lectured myself about the fact that it could never happen. Juice and I, a couple? The thought was ridiculous.

A couple hours later, my mom had made dinner and we all ate in near silence. My father finally cleared his throat, "So… are you feeling better? If not, we completely support you staying home from school."

I shrugged, "I dunno. I guess I feel up to going…"

I watched as my mom gripped her napkin and was clearly upset, she was very overprotective of me, almost as more than my dad. "Sweetheart, we know you want to be strong for us, but it's ok if you need a little more time…"

"No mom, it's ok. I'm ok." They both seemed to let it go as I insisted that I was fine.

We finished eating as my mom talked hesitantly about some other events in town, like some fundraiser that was next weekend. I thought to myself: great, mom's going to volunteer us for something and I'll have to go.

Later that night, right before I went to bed, I heard a rumble of a motorcycle engine. I looked out of my window and saw someone driving incredibly slow and eventually slowing to a stop. I tried to look closer but couldn't make out who it was. What it Juice? I got the chills and quickly backed away. I climbed into bed to hopefully sleep; the past two nights had been full of nightmares and waking up screaming. I managed to fall asleep quickly and only had one slightly disturbing dream about Juice or whoever the mysterious man was outside my window. He was watching me, circling me, his eyes glowing in the darkness, until...

I woke up and realized it was 6 am. I groaned and rolled out of bed, stumbling into the bathroom. I got into the shower and tried to wash away any insecurities and fears I was having. After my shower, I dried my hair, leaving it wavy and loose before putting on some light makeup. I went to my closet to pick out an outfit. Everything I looked at seemed like it wouldn't cover enough skin. I finally settled on a pair of jeans, boots without a heel, a plain green crew necked shirt, and a thin black zip up hoodie.

After getting dressed, I went downstairs and found my mom and dad eating breakfast. They looked up at me with concerned looks, trying to gauge what I was thinking or feeling.

I sat down as my mom handed me a plate, "Honey, you don't have to go today..."

My father nodded, "Sweetheart, you could come to work with me today if you want."

I sighed, "I'll be fine at school. If not, I'll come home."

I knew they were sharing a looked that said they didn't want to let me out of their sight but I couldn't take another day of sitting around the house. I got up and grabbed my bag before they could argue with me any more. I kissed each of them on the cheek and left to get in my car.

I drove to school and sat in the parking lot, debating whether or not I should get out and actually go to school. I scanned the cars and students wondering if they knew about what happened to me on Friday. My eyes spotted Jax and Opie standing near two bikes with two girls towards the edge of the parking lot. I was wondering why Juice wasn't there until I saw him pull up next to them.

Juice actually looked over towards my Mustang with a big goofy grin. I know he spotted me but the only acknowledgement was a slight movement of his head. I felt that fluttering again in my stomach. I sucked up all my courage and took a deep breath before getting out of my car. The bell rang just as I shut the door so I headed straight to my first class.

I took my seat and waited, a little anxious to get through the day in one piece. A girl sat next to me and said, "Hi, I'm Tara." She stuck out her hand and smiled.

I turned to her and was taken aback; I realized she had been one of the girls standing with Juice and his friends earlier, "Bailey. Nice to meet you."

Her smile was kind and friendly, "Jax told me about what happened… are you ok?"

I gripped my notebook, "Um… yeah, I'm fine." Geez, does the whole school know? Did Juice tell everyone?

She touched my arm lightly, reading my mind, "Oh no, not like that… I promise Juice, Jax, and Opie didn't spread it all over the place. They just mentioned it to me briefly. You see, Jax and I are dating. Jax was supposed to meet me after school Friday and was late because he was helping Juice. They told me what happened and I'm so sorry that you were attacked. Let me know if you need a friend, directions, anything."

I was grateful that she was trying to be friendly but I wasn't sure exactly how to take it. "Uh, thank you. I guess I could use a friend…" I replied quietly.

She smiled at me, "So it's settled, you'll be eating lunch with me and Donna."

She told me where to meet her just as our teacher entered the room to start class. It felt good to make a new friend or two. I'm actually looking forward eating lunch with Tara and Donna. I spent the next hour beaming from making my first official friend in Charming. That is, besides Juice. If I could even call him a 'friend' because he seems to be borderline friend and someone I don't want to be near. Yet there was something about him that drew me in, I wanted to know him a little more.

After my next couple of classes, I went to the cafeteria to find Tara and Donna. They were waiting for me right outside. After sharing a smile, they both hugged me and led me to an outdoor picnic table they said they normally sat at. I grabbed the sandwich out of my bag as they did the same. We started to eat and talk, getting to know each other a little better. I found out that I had more in common with the two girls than I thought I would have. Ashley would be so proud, knowing I've made friends today that will last for quite a while. They were nice, friendly, and honest about themselves. I felt like we'd been friends for months even though we just met today. Donna kept looking at me suspiciously but Tara was always smiling at me.

After we finished our sandwiches, Jax sauntered over to the table and kissed Tara on the lips. Opie say down next to Donna and slipped his arm around her shoulders. Juice set a brown paper bag down before lowering himself on the bench next to me. He smiled at me, I smiled back but I couldn't figure out where I fit into this picture. None of them knew me so why would they want to have lunch with me? I reassessed my position and decided that I needed the most friends I could get. I felt a few goose bumps pop up, as I got anxious and nervous.

Juice tapped my arm, "How's school going today?"

"It's ok. Boring, I guess..." I had so many questions to ask him. How'd he get my number? Does he really want to be friends? Why'd he help me?

He offered me a baggy of cookies, I took one and smiled a thank you. The cookies were pretty good, it made me wonder if he or his mother made them for him. There was an awkward pause, so I reached out and touched his arm briefly, "I want to thank you for what you did Friday."

He looked at me with concern and sincerity, "You're welcome."

We shared a moment, smiling bashfully at each other. When I looked away, I saw Jax, Tara, Opie, and Donna looking at Juice and me. Juice cleared his throat and shot them a glare.

I kept thinking about what happened at lunch for the rest of the day. When I got to US History I was almost excited to see Juice. I haven't felt this way since the day I laid eyes on Brett. That turned out to be a big mistake and I thought I had learned my lesson. I guess not, especially since Juice looked like a bad boy on the outside while Brett was on the inside. Truth is, I don't know Juice at all and I shouldn't be so quick to judge people.

Juice had been so kind to me so far and I was being ridiculous for assuming what he was really like. I saw him standing near the door of our classroom, as I got closer, he was fiddling with his cell phone. He looked up as I approached, smiling straight at me, like he was waiting for me.

"Hey Bailey, you ready for another fun day of history?"

"Yep, as long as you don't get me in trouble again." I said almost flirtatiously. It made me nervous but I continued into the room and took my seat.

He followed me and whispered, "I can't promise anything."

The class passed by with very little taking place. It was incredibly boring and I couldn't wait to leave. I didn't know what I was going to do once I got home, sit and think about what happened Friday?

The bell rang and I got up, Juice lightly caught my arm, "Bailey?"

I flinched and pulled away before realizing it was Juice. "Um, sorry…."

He instantly dropped his hand and looked away, "No, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have…"

I saw how much regret he had, "Juice? Please tell me?" I whispered as I took a step towards him.

He finally looked up at me, "Do you want to hang out with me… um us… we're all gonna be chillin' at Jax's house after school."

Juice looked so nervous and hopeful, it was really cute. A small smile broke out across my face, "Yeah, that sounds like fun."

He smiled back, almost relieved I agreed. He didn't seem like the kind of guy that relied on the decision of one girl, his appearance and demeanor made him seem like a guy that can get any girl he wants.

I sent a quick text to my mom: _Mom, I'm gonna be home later, I've met some new friends and they want to hang out._

She texted me back: _Ok Honey. Have fun, be safe._

I followed him out to the parking lot and found Jax, Opie, Tara, and Donna waiting by a small row of motorcycles. They were all laughing and having fun, it sure looked like I'd have a good time this afternoon. Tara and Donna hugged me while Juice, Jax, and Opie started horsing around, fake punches and wrestling with each other.

Tara went to get them to stop while Donna smiled at me, "So Juice talked you into coming with us?"

"Uh, yeah… is that ok?" I asked her. What does she mean 'talked me into it'?

"Oh no, of course it's great. I was just saying…" Tara and the guys came back, interrupting her, but it still left me with a bunch of questions.

"You girls ready to go?" Tara asked, shooting a look at Donna.

I was a little thrown off, trying to hide it though I nodded as Donna looked away and quietly said, "Yeah."

I must have looked uneasy because Juice seemed to perk up as he stood next to me. Jax, Opie, Tara, and Donna climbed onto two of the bikes next to us. Was I supposed to get on the back of Juice's bike? I barely know him.

Juice tapped my arm, "Hey want to follow me there? I'll make sure you don't get lost." He smiled, his cute, goofy, smile.

I nodded, relieved that I wouldn't be on the back of his bike. I don't know why those made me so nervous, although I'm quite sure it would be thrilling. Juice walked me to my car and then hurried back to get on his motorcycle.

I drove behind him the whole way to Jax's house. I caught him looking back at me several times; as if he was worried I'd chicken out and leave. I was intrigued and I wanted to get to know him. Ashley was right; I needed to get out there more.

Ten minutes later, we pulled up in front of a really nice one-story house. There was a large black SUV and several motorcycles parked in the driveway. I parked my Mustang across the street and got out, seeing Tara and Juice waiting for me.

Juice didn't say much, just shyly looked at me then away. Tara hooked her arm through mine; "I don't want to freak you out but Jax's mom can be pretty intense."

"What about all these other bikes?" I asked her confused.

"Oh, Juice didn't tell you? Jax's family is having a huge barbecue to get ready for the fundraiser this weekend." She shot Juice a look but then smiled at me, "Don't worry, you'll be fine. The guys can be a little crude but they're mostly good guys." She tugged me towards the house as Juice followed us.

I was almost freaking out as we walked through the front door. I found myself surrounded by older men, probably my father's age, all wearing leather vests and scowls on their faces. Most of them were sprawled across several couches and chairs, holding beers and talking. The door slammed shut behind us, most of the men turned to look towards us. I felt chills spread from my toes to my head and my cheeks burning. Tara had left to find Jax and Juice took a few steps towards a younger man to greet him.

A woman walked into the room, realized what was going on, and started lecturing them all like they were her children. "Stop scaring the poor girl, you morons. All of you go outside. Bobby's almost done." The men got up without arguing or complaining and went to the backyard. The woman waited for everyone to leave, I noticed that Juice stayed behind. "Hey sweetie," She hugged me and I awkwardly hugged her back, "I'm Jax's mom. You can call me Gemma. We're so glad you could join us. Don't let those Neanderthals intimidate you; they're really just a bunch of kids. Let me know if you need anything."

Before I could respond, she had turned and went outside to supervise. I was nearly frozen next to the door, until Juice gently nudged me and gestured to the back door, "You wanna head out? Or are you too overwhelmed?"

I half-smiled at him, "I guess we could try the back yard…" He grinned back at me and guided me towards the door.

The first step onto the deck I saw everyone had plates of burgers, ribs, chicken, and salad while holding bottles of beer and sitting in chairs and at picnic tables. Juice picked up two plates and handed one to me, leading me through the buffet set up that Gemma got together. After loading our plates, Gemma handed us cans of Pepsi and napkins before letting us go sit down with Tara, Donna, Jax, and Opie at the table near the pool.

I was starting to feel a little more at ease as we ate and talked, becoming more familiar and friendly with each other. I felt people watching me, staring over at our table. It was weird but my new friends didn't seem to notice.

Tara caught my attention, "Hey, you ok?" She must have noticed I wasn't pay attention to the conversation.

"Uh, yeah, I'm fine." I whispered, but I was still looking around the backyard at the other men looking over towards us.

Juice scooted closer to me and nudged me, "Don't worry about those guys, they're just jealous I get to sit next to the new girl."

I giggled slightly and turned back to my plate, picking through the food. It was some of the best barbecue I'd ever had. Pretty soon I was laughing with Juice, Tara, Jax, and Opie. Donna was still giving me an off-vibe, like she wasn't happy or comfortable with me hanging around them. Even though she had been nice and friendly at lunch, she seemed like she was now having a problem with me.

Most of the older women in the backyard had gathered around Gemma, listening intently to what she was telling them. The men in vests were laughing with each other or talking in hushed whispers about Lord knows what. I was content sitting with my new friends, getting to know them a little better.

It turns out that the leather vests were a big part of the motorcycle club that Juice had told me about. They were more of a family than a club, always looking out for each other and being around each other. It sounded amazing, to care about people so much that they become a second family. I had a best friend with Ashley but I had never had a huge group of friends that felt like family. It was a different environment to be in.

Once our table had finished eating, a younger man came by and swept all the garbage into a large black bag. Jax and Tara jumped up and started chasing each other around the pool, giggling and flirting as they went. Opie and Donna were more low key but they got up to go inside the house. Juice and I were left sitting at the picnic table, rather close to each other but it was comfortable.

I caught Gemma looking at us from across the pool but I tried to think nothing of it. What is with these people looking at me weird? Is there something on my face?

Juice cleared his throat, "Um… so… what are you thinking?"

It's really cute how he's acting right now, like he's never talked to a girl before. I looked at the table and then at him, squinting into the late afternoon sun, "How great the food was, how cool your friends seem to be, I don't know." He looked tense so I added quietly, "I'm having a lot of fun."

His mood changed, he looked thrilled, "Me too." He said quickly, looking me straight in the eye to make sure I was being honest, "Are you glad you came?"

"Very." My voice cracked as I spoke but Juice didn't even seem to notice. "Are you glad I came?"

He didn't even blink, "Extremely."

I felt my cheeks blushing, "Can I ask you a question?"

"Of course." He ran his hand over his Mohawk as he waited for me.

"How did you get my phone number?" It was still eluding me, how'd he possible get my number?

He chuckled, "You could have asked me anything and that's what you decided to ask?"

"What should I be asking?" I asked him.

"There'll be time for that later." He grinned at me, "Believe it or not, I know I look like a total dumbass, I'm actually very good with technology. Sorry if it weirded you out…" He trailed off before muttering, "I kinda hacked a database and then looked for your name and memorized it..."

He kept mumbling timidly at his hands, so I reached out and put my hand over his. I whispered, "I'm happy you did."

As soon as his eyes met mine again, I felt something. It was like a spark and it felt incredible. I was about to move my hand when he caught it and held it tenderly in his. His hand felt rough yet soft enough against my skin. We stayed like this for what seemed like a very long time.

I heard heels clicking against brick behind us and a woman clearing her throat. Juice and I reluctantly let our hands slide apart as Gemma said, "You two need anything?" Juice and I shook our heads. Gemma shot this look at us; it said that she knew something. It should have been eerie but it made me feel a little guilty, like I was hiding something.

There was an awkward pause that got interrupted by my iPhone ringing. I pulled it from my pocket and looked down at the screen. DAD lit up across it in big bold letters. I saw the time and realized I had been at Jax's house for too long, it was now 6:30 and my dad must be on his way home.

I jumped up and answered the phone as I walked a few yards away from the table. "Hey daddy." I said.

"Hey sweetheart, you home yet from school?"

It was a loaded question. I knew right then that my mom had told him I went to a new friends house and didn't come home yet. "Not yet. I met a couple new friends and they invited me over…"

"That's good. I'm glad you're making friends." I looked over my shoulder at Juice. "When do you think you'll be home?"

"In half an hour or so?" I said with a questioning tone.

"Sounds good, see you then. Love you, baby."

"I love you too, daddy." I said before hanging up.

I pressed my phone against my lips before turning back to the picnic table. Juice was still sitting there, pretending not to listen to my end of the phone call. He gave me a shy smile as I walked back to him.

"Sorry… my dad…"

Juice cut me off, "Don't worry about it. Does he want you home now?"

"Kinda. I think my mom is worrying about me." I bit my lip, imagining what my mom would say if she knew who I was hanging out with.

"Do you want to go home?" He looked as if he wanted me to say no but also was being respectful of my space.

"No but I should…" I said hesitantly.

He nodded, "Ok, let's get you home." Juice held out his arm to guide me through the house.

We walked past Gemma so I stopped to pay my respects to the host. I was so grateful that she let me come into her home and eat her food. She invited me back anytime I wanted. It was so friendly and genuine. I smiled and accepted, thanking her so many times, I lost count. Juice and I finally made it to the house and out front to my car.

I was about to get in when Juice stopped me with a gentle tug, "Um. Would you want to hang out again?"

I smiled, "I'd like that. A lot." I wrapped my arms around his shoulders and hugged him.

I barely made out the whisper that escaped his lips, "Thank goodness."

When I pulled back, he let his hand slide down my arm to my hand, holding it gently as he asked, "Do you know how to get home?"

I looked up and down the street, "Honestly… no."

"It's ok, you can follow me. Ok?"

I nodded; he flashed me his goofy, adorable smile and went to get on his bike. I got into my car and followed him to my house. Somehow he remembered where I lived, after he tailed me home on Friday. I parked in front of my house and got out of my car. Juice turned around and drove past me, showing me another signature smile as he waved and went home.


	6. Five

**Hey Reader, **

**I hope that you're loving the direction of my story because I am. It's going to be slow and sweet but I promise to add in some action too. I will be on vacation this next week but after that I will start putting together my next chapter. :) Please enjoy and review!  
><strong>

**-Jennifer11**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Sons of Anarchy or anything that Kurt Sutter created.**

* * *

><p>Over the next four days, Juice and I spent every lunch period together, talking and getting to know each other. We didn't hold hands or touch, just talking with a little bit of flirting. It was cute how he wasn't rushing anything but I knew he wasn't playing games with me. He was so sincere even though his outward appearance told me I shouldn't be so close.<p>

We hung out for about twenty minutes after school everyday, both of us not wanting to say goodbye. When I got home he would text me a little bit, not pushing the boundaries just asking me harmless questions. I kept myself guarded and didn't tell him about Brett, but I opened up enough to let him in and to know me better. I had to make sure I was 100% about him before really laying myself out there. All signs pointed to him being trustworthy and I was into it.

Friday rolled around and I found myself not missing Ashley as much as I used to. Which was a little weird. I didn't think I'd ever not be friends with her. I was in History class when I sent Ash a text message, hoping Mr. Williams would see. '_Ash, I'm so sorry I haven't been texting you as much. I miss you and I wish we were still at the same school.'_

I tried to pay attention to the class but I was worried that I was losing my best friend. I didn't want to hurt her, we'd been friends forever and she'd helped me break out of my comfort zone. A very long three minutes later, Ashley responded. _"Yeah girl, it's been days. What have you been up to?'_

I tried to hide my smile as I read the message and replied: _'I've been hanging with a guy friend. And I broke the pact: never ditch your girl friends for a boyfriend.'_

Right after I sent the message, Juice tapped my forearm. I looked up and saw Mr. Williams gloating in my direction. "Well Ms. Jones. Looks like we have a problem." I felt my cheeks burn. "Let's see if you have been paying attention." There was a cynical look on his face. "When was the Mississippi River discovered? And by who?"

I gulped and looked him straight in the eye as I answered, "1542 by Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto."

He looked a little pissed off; the smile was slowly leaving his face. "What was the first colony and who founded it."

I brushed some hair back from my face, "Jamestown, Virginia. John Smith in 1607."

His face was starting to get red and his anger was rising. "What was the 17th state?" The look in his eye said he thought he knew he had me.

I looked at Juice. He seemed nervous but wanted to see if I could or would show up the teacher. I looked back at the teacher who was pacing and grinning at me. I folded my hands together and answered, "Ohio."

I heard Juice try to quietly celebrate as our teacher silently cursed. "You're out of here." He furiously scribbled onto the pink pad of paper before sending me to Support Room.

I got up and was almost out of the room when Juice jumped out of his seat, "Wait." He called out.

"Yes, Mr. Ortiz? Do you have something to add?" Mr. Williams looked like he was about to blow his top. I had stopped in the doorway to see what would happen.

"Uh yeah. Kiss my ass." Juice was grinning at me from his seat.

"Fine. You are joining Ms. Smart Ass." Our teacher wrote out another slip and threw it towards Juice.

Juice caught the paper and sauntered out of the room after me. I rolled my eyes as we both walked to support room. I was a few steps in front of him, reading the last message from Ashley: _'Who is it? Tell me tell me tell me!'_

I giggled, knowing what Ash was thinking right then. I quickly typed the message: _'Remember that bad boy that got me in trouble on the first day of school?'_

Just after I sent the text, Juice grasped my hand and spun me around. I looked at him a little shocked. "Bailey… I can't believe you just did that. How'd you know those last two? We only just started learning about the 16th century."

I smiled, "I like history and as a Navy Brat, we learn a lot about US History. But my dad's not going to like the fact I talked back to a teacher."

"I'm sorry I'm such a bad influence on you…" Juice said with a glimmer in his eye.

"You should be." I joked flirtatiously. He faked a hurt look. It was cute but tugged at my heart. He was still holding my hand so I leaned in and kissed his cheek lightly. It was really the first intimate moment we'd had even though it was only on the cheek. It was innocent but not too much. Juice looked a little taken aback but he smiled.

We were about to keep walking to Support Room when I got another text from Ash: _"Wait. A bad boy? Is he cute?"_

I giggled. "Hey Juice." I said, holding up my phone and snapped a quick picture of us smiling. I texted the picture to her and added: _'See for yourself ;)'_

Juice took my bag and slung it over his shoulder before wrapping his arm around my shoulders. "Was that for Ashley?"

"Yep. She was asking me about you…" I told him shyly.

"What'd you tell her?" He asked me as he led me through the hallway.

"Well… I told her that we were friends and hanging out a lot." I was sort of rambling and mumbling. Truth was I couldn't be sure if we were dating. After all, he'd never taken me on a real date or called me his girlfriend. Plus I didn't even know if he was talking to other girls or not.

He stopped walking, "Just friends?" He looked at me. "Would you want to, um, go on a date with me?"

I could hear how nervous he was as I bit my lip, thinking about his offer. I wanted to but what would my father say? Wait, what would Ashley do? I grinned at him, "Yes."

He seemed overjoyed but still concerned I'd back out. "How about tonight?"

"Sure." I said as a huge smile broke out across my face. I could feel my cheeks getting red but I was excited to go out with him.

Just as we got walked into detention, the bell rang. The school week was finally over. Juice carried my bag and walked me out to the parking lot where Jax, Opie, Tara, and Donna were already waiting for us. They saw that Juice had his arm around me and started making some noise, whistling and yelling out, trying to embarrass us. I giggled and blushed as Juice squeezed my shoulders.

Juice set my bag down on the seat of his bike before starting to fake wrestle with Opie and Jax. Tara and Donna pulled me to the side, desperate to know the details.

Tara was beaming, "So, what happened?"

It was a little awkward to tell them what was going on, even though over the past week we'd grown to be close friends. "Well, he asked me out and we're going on a date tonight."

Donna scrunched up her face and turned to watch the boys playing around twenty feet away from us. What was her problem? Tara seemed to notice that Donna was giving me the cold shoulder and had been for the past week. Before we could answer, the three Mexican boys walked by and nodded at Tara and I. Tara held her ground and crossed her arms but I was scared.

Donna had flagged down the boys, getting them to come over to us. Opie and Jax got in front of us and glared down the boys but Juice had perceived how freaked out I was so he slipped his arm around my shoulders again. It didn't take long for the other three to keep walking and leave us alone.

I hugged Juice and whispered, "I should get home…"

He nodded, grabbed my bag, and walked me to my car. After handed me back my backpack, he kissed my cheek, "Text me if you get lost. I'll pick you up at 7, ok?"

I agreed and got into my car. Juice waited until I left the parking space before going back to his friends and motorcycle.

I went home, found my mom wasn't home, and ate a snack before skyping with Ashley. She'd texted me back earlier: _'Girl, he is fine! Tell me more!'_

As soon as I got online, Ash started badgering me with questions. "How'd you meet? How's he treat you? Have you kissed? Did your parents meet him yet? Is it serious? Have you done it?"

I rolled my eyes, "Ash, come on. You know me." We both burst into laughter. "His name is Juice. We seriously ran into each other on the first day of school and then he got me in trouble, but he's so sweet and funny. We've hung out like everyday this week. We've kissed each other on the cheek, nothing to fancy or interesting. I haven't even told my parents about him, so…"

Ash was sitting cross-legged on her bed, listening intently. "I'm sure the Admiral is gonna love his tats." She interrupted me and chuckled.

I blew out my breath and scoffed, letting my head fall into my hands. "Ash… I don't even know what to do. We're going on a date tonight…"

"WHAT!" She shrieked. "You better not be putting out!"

All of her sex jokes were getting old but we both knew I would never do that. I'm only seventeen, why would I do something that could ruin my life? "Of course not! But I don't know what to wear..." I remembered I had forgotten to tell her a few details. My head shot up, "OH! I forgot to tell you! He drives a motorcycle and is a part of a 'club'. But it seems more like a gang…"

"Wow B, you sure can pick 'em. Could you have found another guy that would piss your dad off more?"

"Exactly." I said, "I just don't know what to wear."

She shook her head at me, "Yes, let's focus on that. Not on what you're going to tell your, slightly over protective, father. Why don't you wear that pink sundress we bought last summer, right before you and Brett ended?"

I knew exactly what she was talking about. I got up and grabbed it from my closet. It was a salmon color, short-sleeved, had a sweetheart neckline that was high enough to make sure I didn't show too much cleavage, and a thin brown belt. It was lace over fabric that gave me a sweet, innocent look while also showing off enough curves. The dress was also a little short but fell almost mid-thigh. It was cute and I had bought it, thinking I'd wear it on me and Brett's six-month anniversary. A couple days later, he'd broken it off saying I wasn't woman enough for him. I spent weeks crying over him.

I was caught in my thoughts when Ashley hollered for me. "Are you trying it on or did you get lost in your massive closet?"

I leaned back onto my bed, "Sorry, I was…"

"Thinking about ass face?" She knew me so well.

I nodded but held up the dress. "What shoes?"

She put her finger to her chin, "What about those brown strappy sandals?"

I dug through my closet again and found the light brown wedges that were peek toed and strappy. I held them in front of my laptop. Ashley squealed, "Yes! You're going to look so hot!"

I giggled, "Alright, alright. I gotta get ready."

"You better tell me every detail later!" She grinned.

"I promise! I'll text you all about it! Love you, A."

"I love you too, B. Have fun, be safe!" She blew me a kiss and we disconnected.

I missed being able to hang out with her after school. We'd gossip, laugh, watch TV, or go to the mall. It'd always been fun. But now, I had to start over, find new friends and fit in somewhere else.

I got in the shower and got ready for the date. It was the third one I'd been on since Brett. The other two boys that I had gone out with were only trying to use me to get my father's attention. Now here was Juice, he didn't know my father but I had told him enough to tell him that my father was high-powered and protective of me. Juice was respectful but I wasn't sure what he wanted.

After drying my hair and straightening it, I put on some make up, keeping it light but smoky. I got dressed and sprayed some perfume before putting on my shoes. I checked the time, it was 6:30 and I could feel the butterflies dancing in my stomach. I texted Ashley: _'I'm so nervous._' I checked myself in the mirror before going downstairs.

My mom was putting away groceries, "Hi, sweetheart. How was school?"

"It was fine." I answered as I started helping her, grabbing a few things and putting them in the fridge.

"You look pretty, what are you all dressed up for?" She smiled and handed me a couple things to put into cabinets.

"Well… I've been invited to go on a date." I said quietly.

"Oh that's nice. Who is he?" She was prying but it was all to make sure I wasn't putting myself in harm's way.

"He sits next to me in class and he seems nice." I was trying to keep his bad boy image off the table until the last possible second. I read the text from Ash: _'Don't be. Any guy would be lucky to be with you or even next to you.'_

I grinned as my mom studied my face, "When's he picking you up?"

"Seven." I started thinking about Juice and him picking me up. Would I have to ride his motorcycle? As soon as he pulls up, I won't be allowed out of the house. Panic was starting to set in as my brain kept working. When my mom sees his head or arms, she's going to call my dad and I'll be grounded.

She cleared her throat, "Your father should be here in a few minutes and I know he'd like to meet your date." I gulped, this only added to my dread. I looked up at the clock and saw it was 6:55. Before I could whip out my phone and text Juice, the doorbell rang. "Oh, that must be him. Why don't you go get that and I'll pour some glasses of lemonade."

I reluctantly got up and went to the door. Juice was shifting nervously on the front porch. He had on nice pants, shoes, a button up, and his black zip up hoodie. He had a Yankees hat on top of his head. I noticed that he'd strategically covered up all of his visible tattoos.

I opened the door and smiled, "Hey Juice. You look very dapper. Would you like to come in?"

He just stood there, his mouth open, "I uh…" His stare was causing me to blush. "You look very beautiful." He said as he entered my house.

I escorted him to the kitchen where my mother was waiting for us. "Hey mom, this is…"

"Juan Carlos Ortiz." Juice interrupted me and held out his hand.

My mom shook his hand, "It's so nice to meet one of Bailey's friends. Would you like some lemonade?" She handed him a glass.

"Yes please ma'am. Thank you." He took the glass and took a sip.

"You two make a cute couple." My mom commented as she put the lemonade pitcher away and then leaned against the counter. "So Juan Carlos, tell me about yourself."

"Mom! You're embarrassing me." I cried out, covering my face with my hands. To add to my mortification, the front door opened and I heard my dad announce his arrival.

My father walked into the kitchen and his eyes immediately landed on Juice. "Hello there. I'm Bailey's father." He held out his hand to Juice, apparently trying to judge Juice on his handshake alone.

"Juan Carlos Ortiz." Their handshake was firm, a stand off between two men. I watched as my father eyed Juice while Juice held steady, making sure he wasn't easing up but not overpowering my dad.

After a tense minute, they let go. There was an awkward pause so my mom spoke up, "Honey, would you like some lemonade? Juan and Bailey will be dining out, so it will just be me and you for dinner."

My father nodded, "So Juan, are you going to tell us about yourself?"

"Yes sir. I grew up in Queens, New York before moving here with my mom right before high school. I work at a garage, fixing or towing broken down cars."

I was worried that my dad would make Juice take his hat off but he didn't. My father looked him over a few more times before nodding, "Alright, have fun but no funny business. Have her home by 10:30. We have to get up early tomorrow for a fundraiser."

Juice shook my father's hand again, "Yes sir. Thank you for letting me take your daughter out. I promise to be respectful and courteous."

I kissed my mom and dad on the cheek before grabbing my purse and pulling Juice out of the house. Juice was flashing me his classic goofy smile as he watched me fumble with my bag, phone, and keys. I took a deep breath and tried to relax.

I finally looked up, expecting to see Juice's motorcycle but instead I saw a truck. "Who's car is that?" I asked him as I caught him looking at me.

He started to walk me to the truck, "My mom's. She let me borrow it. I didn't think you'd be comfortable or want to ride on the back of my bike."

Hearing about him being so thoughtful made my grin. "That's sweet of you." I said as I got into the passenger seat. He ran around and got into the driver's seat before taking off his hat. "So where are we going?" I asked.

"Dinner and a movie?" He said questioningly. He drove us through town before stopping in front of the Italian restaurant me and my parents ate at on our first night in town.

It was romantic, candle lit, and quiet. We talked and ate, truly enjoying each other's company. I learned a little more about Juice's likes and dislikes, finding that he was organized, smart, and focused on what he loves. He knows more about computers and technology more than anyone I've ever known.

When the check came, I reached for my wallet but Juice frowned and whipped his out first, "Don't worry, I'm paying tonight." He smiled and handed the waiter the bill and cash, leaving a good-sized tip.

Juice took my hand as we walked down the street to the movie theater. I finally decided to ask him, "So why did you get all dressed up and wear that hat?"

He chuckled, "I didn't think your dad would let me take you out if he saw my ink. I know some people don't get it and judge me before they get to know me. I'm just glad that you took the time even though you saw me first…"

I smiled, "You're right. My dad would have grounded me. He still might but it's worth it. I'm so glad that I gave you a chance." I was teasing him but I secretly was very happy to be out on a date with him. I was also thrilled that he didn't judge me as a loner or too much of a good girl, like all those boys back in Annapolis.

We stood outside the movie theater trying to decide what to see. Juice wanted to see some horror movie but I wasn't sure, I wanted to see something less gory. We settled on another scary movie that was less blood and guts. Juice bought the tickets but I bought some soda, popcorn, and candy for us to snack on, even though we just ate dinner. We found seats and waited through the previews.

About halfway through the movie, I had jumped and grabbed Juice's arm several times and spilled half the popcorn on the floor. Juice held my hand, letting me squeeze it as tight as I could. I only let go to cover my eyes, turning into his shoulder. He snuck his arm around me to hold me closer to him, making sure I wasn't too scared.

Once the movie was over, I felt paranoid but Juice held my hand to try to reassure me that it was just a movie. I nearly jumped out of my skin when I heard three loud motorcycles rumble past us. Juice had been holding back laughter the whole night whenever I got frightened but this time his arm tightened around me as if he was trying to hide me from the young men driving by. I recognized their vests as the same as the one that the boy who attacked me was wearing.

My grip on Juice's shirt was deathlike. He pulled me out of the painful memory of the boy on top of me by squeezing me slightly. "C'mon, let's get you home. I don't want your dad hunting me down."

We got in his truck and drove to my house. He walked me to the door at exactly 10:25. The porch light was on and I was nervous, playing with my keys. Juice shifted, trying to figure out what move to make.

"I had a great time…" I told him, smiling at how cute and adorable he was.

"Me too. I hope we can do it again, soon." He was blushing but keeping his eyes on me.

"Yes, we will." I wanted to go out with him or be near him everyday. "So… I'll see you tomorrow?" I didn't want the night to end but I knew we probably should.

He nodded and quietly responded, "I can't wait."

There was another long pause. I wanted him to make a move to kiss me but I knew I couldn't because I was too shy. I decided to hug him, wrapping my arms around his shoulders. He put his hands around my waist and held me for a few seconds. Just as I was pulling back, his head leaned in and he pressed his lips against mine gently.

It was an innocent little kiss but it was the perfect first kiss. Slow, steady, soft, sweet, and full of sparks. All the 'S' factors that lead to the greatest of all kisses. I was just about to pull back, to savor the kiss when the door opened loudly.

I jerked back and Juice let his hands drop to his sides. My dad shot him a glare, "Hello sweetheart. I hope you had a good night. I believe Mr. Ortiz needs to get home."

I cleared my throat, "Thank you, I'll talk to you soon." I said to Juice before slipping past my dad.

Behind me I heard Juice address my father, "Thank you sir for letting me take your daughter out for dinner." I knew my dad wouldn't respond, only shake his hand roughly. As soon as the door slammed shut, I made my way up to my room to call Ashley and tell her all about the date. It was an amazing evening and I was so happy I'd agree to go. I can't wait to see him tomorrow and every day after that.


	7. Six

**Hey Reader, **

**Sorry for taking so long to update. My job is crazy and I've been putting off doing the things I really want to do. ANYWAYS, I hope that I can make it up to you through this super long chapter. Enjoy! (please read and review)**

**-Jennifer11**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Sons of Anarchy or anything that Kurt Sutter created.**

* * *

><p>I woke up with a smile on my face, thinking about how cute and sweet Juice was last night. I sat up in bed as my fingers lingered on my lips, still feeling the tingle of our kiss. A few minutes later, my mom knocked on my door, "Sweetie, it's time to get up and ready. It's 7'o'clock and we've got to be at the fundraiser in an hour."<p>

"Ok mom." I said softly as I pushed back the covers and trudged to the bathroom to shower and get ready.

Thirty minutes later I walked back into my room with my towel wrapped around me and my hair nearly dried. I stood in front of my clothes trying to figure out what to wear. After grabbing my phone I texted Ashley: _Girl, I have no clue what to wear. I'm seeing Juice again today and I wanna look good but my parents will be there too…_

While waiting for her to respond, I started to put on my makeup. I made sure it was light but flirty, so my dad wouldn't disapprove. Once I was finished, I checked the time, I only had fifteen minutes left and Ashley had finally texted me back: _Any thing you wear, he will love. You know he's into you if he changed his image to impress your parents. Try jeans, sandals, a tank top, and a light sweater over it…_

I smiled, Ashley always knew how to dress for every single occasion. I pulled out my favorite skinny jeans, a teal tank top, a button up quarter sleeve white sweater, and brown t-strap sandals. I pulled out a necklace my mom gave me for my last birthday; it was silver and had a heart pendant. After looking myself over in the mirror, knowing that Ashley would approve, I went downstairs to grab a little breakfast and wait to leave.

Five minutes later my parents came into the kitchen so we could leave. I was munching on a pop tart while they drank cups of coffee. We left a few minutes later and drove to the park with the desserts my mom had made. I helped her unload the car while my dad took the table and tent to set it up. Of course my father picked the spot next to the Charming Police Department's booth, I thought as I followed them. I looked around to see if I knew anyone else there.

I saw Jax's mom setting up a spot and talking to a few women I had seen at her house. I'll go say hello to her later I thought as I set down the large box of cupcakes, brownies, and cookies. I went back to the SUV to grab another load while my mom was getting to know some of the police officers. Just as I tried to pull another box out of the trunk and was wondering if Juice would actually show up today I heard the unmistakable rumble of motorcycles. I looked over my shoulder and saw the older men I'd seen at Jax's house pull into the parking lot, followed by Jax, Opie, and Juice.

A smile spread across my face as I shifted the heavier box in my arms before walking back to the booths. The park was starting to get crowded which made carrying the second box was a little tougher. I managed to make it half way back when a man bumped into me. I jerked and just when I thought I would drop all the baked goods, someone helped me balance the box and even took most of the weight into their arms.

I quietly said, "Thanks…" before looking up to see Juice. "Oh! Hi Juice!" I felt my stomach flip as his strong arms helped me hold up the box.

"Hey Bailey." He grinned at me before taking the whole box from me.

"You don't have to carry that…" I started to protest but Juice shook his head.

"Bailey, I've got it. Just show me where to put it." He chuckled at me as I lead him to my parents little table. It wasn't much but my mom wanted to be involved and my dad used his Navy contacts to get her a booth, one near the local police squad.

My mom smiled at him as he set the box down. "Hello again, Juan."

"Hi Mrs. Jones. How are you?" After he took a step back, I realized he was wearing nice jeans, a plaid button up shirt, and a sweatshirt. Also he had no vest and the same Yankees hat on from last night. Was he purposely wearing this for me?

My mom was starting to unpack her desserts and set them up around the table, "I'm fine. How are you? Who are you here with?"

I blushed, feeling embarrassed but Juice answered my mom, "I'm good. I'm here with some friends."

My dad snuck up on us, "What about your mom? She didn't want to come out to support the town?"

"Dad!" I exclaimed.

Juice shifted uncomfortably, "No, it's ok. My mom um… doesn't leave the house much. She has some personal troubles."

"You poor thing… your home life must be terrible." My mom said sympathetically.

"Mom…" I tried to warn her.

Juice rubbed the back of his neck, he looked very cute but I had to keep my thoughts to myself. "It's not perfect but I found a second mom. She takes care of me when my real mom can't. Speaking of, I've got to go help her set up. I'll see you all later." He waved and I wondered if he was talking about Gemma as I watched him smile and go back to the parking lot to help.

"He seems nice but…" My mom started.

"How could his mom not take care of him?" My dad finished.

I started to help unpack and put out the desserts while my mom and dad talked a little bit. After several minutes, I decided I'd go see what Juice was doing. "Can I go say hi to my friends?"

"Sure, honey. But don't go too far." My mom called out as I slowly walked through the park looking for Juice. I saw Tara and Donna standing in the parking lot so I started towards them. Just as I got to the building by the parking lot, I heard several guys talking.

"Juice, what are you wearing?" Opie said.

"Yeah man, where's your cut?" Jax added in.

I listened, hiding around the corner, as I waited for Juice to respond. "I… "

He never got the words out because another boy interrupted. "It's that girl isn't it?"

I could feel my cheeks burn but Juice spoke up, "No. Not exactly."

"Well what is it?" The other boy said.

Jax tried to stop the conversation, "Leave him alone. It's hard to find a girl who isn't a croweater or one that goes running when they find out about us…"

Opie added, "If he has to change up his look to snag the girl, then let him…"

The other boy kept going, "You guys are all soft. I'd never let a chick change me. If she don't like it, I don't like her."

Juice finally stood up for himself, "You don't understand. It's not for Bailey. It's her parents. They wouldn't approve of me no matter what. And if wearing a hat and a long sleeve shirt helps them ease into the thought of me dating their daughter then so be it."

"Don't let Clay catch you without your cut on…" The other boy said.

Jax must have been getting mad because I heard him say, "Clay will be fine."

I was going to inch closer to see who the other boy was when I felt a hand on my shoulder and someone growl out, "What are you doing?"

I jumped and yelped, spinning around to see an older man that I had seen at Jax's house. I clutched my chest and gasped for breath as I assessed the man in front of me. He had piercing blue eyes, curly black hair, a scowl, and a 'cut' on that matched Juice's. I felt myself pressed against the wall, speechless.

There was a very uncomfortable silence before he asked me again, "What are you doing?"

"I was um… just…" I stuttered feeling intimidated by the man in front of me.

There was an eerie vibe coming from him when he said, "Just spying?"

I shook my head as Juice appeared next to me, "Back off Tig." He took a step in front of me and crossed his arms.

Tig shot back, "This little…" Jax pushed Tig back and half walked half drug him towards the SAMCRO booth that was set up.

I was too busy watching the guys walk away that when Juice took my hand and squeezed, I was jerked back to reality, "Hey, you ok? I know Tig can be…"

I interrupted him, "I'm fine. Sorry, I didn't mean to be listening. I was just coming to find you."

"Don't worry about all that…" When the words left his mouth, I could tell he felt a little awkward but he was trying to get us back to a normal conversation.

We stood for a few minutes, watching the other people walk around the park. I decided to break the silence and ask what had been weighing on me. "So were you talking about Gemma earlier?"

Juice looked confused before realizing what I meant, "Yeah, I was." He took a deep breath before continuing, "Sometimes my mom gets too messed up or we argue so I go over to Jax's or the garage. I have even slept in their guest room for a week because my mom was too trashed."

It looked like it took a lot for him to get so vulnerable with me. I squeezed his hand and looked him in the eye, "Juice? I'm sorry your mom…"

He chuckled, "It's not your fault, Bailey. You don't have to say anything." He looked back around the park. "I think your dad is looking for you…" He pointed towards the booth where I left my parents.

I looked up and saw my father glaring towards us, making me drop Juice's hand and blush again. "I guess I should get back. You can stop by whenever you get a free minute…" I said before turning to walk back.

Juice lightly caught my arm, "I'll come with you…" I smiled up at him as we walked back to the table. We weren't holding hands any more but we were walking a little closer than normal. He whispered to me, "I hope you're not thinking about anything you heard…"

I shook my head, "No it's fine. I understand." It was a little weird that his friends were hounding him but I was used to boys acting strange around me. My father was a tough one to please and it scared a lot of guys off. If Juice was willing to try and get my father to like him, he must like me a lot. We only just met but he's cute and what's going on between us could go somewhere.

We had arrived at the booth and I took a seat behind the table so my parents could walk around. I hoped that they wouldn't be too put off by Gemma's table. Juice sat down in the chair next to me and was watching people walk by intensely. After selling a couple of cupcakes, I caught a glimpse of my parents walking by the SAMCRO area. It made me so nervous. What if my parents or Gemma said something that would create a gap between Juice and I?

Juice seemed to notice that I was freaking out because he touched my hand, "Hey… I had a great time last night. It was really fun."

I turned to him, smiling as I softly replied, "It was the most fun I'd had in a while." I wanted to kiss his sweet tasting, cute, thin lips. A first for me, I had never felt this way about a guy. Especially not one I had just met.

Jax and Opie were walking over with a third boy that I hadn't met before. Juice greeted them but Jax spoke to me, "Hey Bailey, how's it going?"

"It's good. How about you?" I said politely. Out of the corner of my eye I saw the other boy watching me intensely, looking me up and down. It was making me feel very uncomfortable.

Jax nodded, "Good, good."

While Opie asked, "So your mom made all this?"

"Yep. They're real good. Want to buy some for all your friends?" I grinned as I tried to persuade them to buy half the table.

The boy I didn't know jumped in, "I'll buy something if I can get a kiss too."

I looked down at my feet, "I uh…" There was no way I would ever do that. Ashley would but it wasn't something I was comfortable doing.

Luckily, I didn't have to say anything. Juice answered for me, "Kyle, stop! Just go back to the table."

The boy frowned and as he turned to go, I barely heard him mutter, "At least I'm not being a pussy over a bitch."

My mouth fell open in shock. Did he really just say that? And about me? I was taken aback but I watched Jax, and Opie launch into action. I felt like I was watching them in slow motion. Jax and Opie pushed Kyle to get him away from the booth and Juice quickly. It wasn't enough because Juice nearly knocked over the dessert table on his way to kick the boys' ass.

I sat down, still in shock. The look on Juice's face was one I hadn't seen on him before. He was incredibly angry and upset. Juice hadn't come back in ten minutes but my dad had. I didn't say much but I was a little shaken.

I was still sitting with my legs and arms crossed as my dad was selling off the desserts to all the moms walking by. Juice finally made his way back over with Jax following him. My dad was watching his every more, scrutinizing the smallest detail. I looked up and saw Juice, looking like a dog with his tail between his legs. As they got closer, I noticed the small bruise starting to form on Juice's cheek and a small cut near his ear. 'This probably doesn't look good to my dad' was all I could think as he and Jax stood in front of my father and me.

Jax decided to speak, "Uh, hi sir. Can we buy a dozen cupcakes?"

My father nodded, "That'll be $50." Jax handed over the money as he and Juice started to pick out the cupcakes they wanted. "Have you boys been roughhousing?"

Juice looked so unease but Jax was trying to keep his cool, "Just a little sir."

"See you boys later." My father said dismissively. I watched as Juice and Jax took the cupcakes and went back to the SAMCRO area and handed them out to several of the men in vests. I pulled out my phone to text Ashley about what just happened when my father cleared his throat. "Sweetheart?" I put down my phone and looked up at him. "I know that Juan Carlos and you enjoyed an evening out together, but is he really the best company to keep?"

I didn't even know what to say to him. So I decided to say something neutral. "Daddy, we're just friends and I just met him…"

"His friends are in a gang. You can't possibly think he's a gentleman. I still don't see why you broke up with Brett." As soon as he said the words, I was jolted back into the memories of Brett. And that I had never told my parents the real reason we stopped dating. I simply told them we were taking a break not that he was pressuring me to have sex. My father still thought the world of him but I knew he wouldn't as soon as he found out what Brett said to me.

"Daddy… he…" With my father's eyes on me, I knew I couldn't tell him. Not here in public. "We just grew apart." It wasn't exactly a lie. We did grow apart, he wanted to have sex and I wasn't ready. I stood up, "I'm going to go find mom."

I found her standing in front of a booth for the gardening shop located downtown. She smiled at me, "Hey honey."

"Hey mom, are you going to start gardening?"

"I don't see why not. We have the room now and I've always wanted one." She picked up a brochure and was reading. "Can I ask you a question? Your friend Juan Carlos… why is he wearing a sweatshirt when it's so hot out this morning?"

Again with the questions about Juice, it's like my parents are trying to snoop on me without asking a straightforward question. "Mom? You may not like this but the thing is… he has some tattoos and didn't want you to see them. He's not at all like his appearance or like his friends. He's just… different. He's a nice guy."

She nodded but I don't think she was quite listening. "Oh ok, that's nice, honey." She turned to the woman behind the table and asked her a question, giving me enough time to slip away and to the parking lot to call Ashley. As I dialed and waited, I sat down on the edge of a planter.

Ashley answered on the third ring, "Hey B!" I heard her squeal.

"Hey Ash! So I'm out here at this town fundraiser and I think Juice got into this fight… for me…"

"B! That's good! How many other guys have we known that would do that?"

"Like none… But my dad said he doesn't think Juice is good company. I know Juice isn't like the other guys I've tried to date but he's really nice."

"I know B. I can't wait to meet him…"

"Wait, what?"

"You're dad didn't tell you? I'm coming to visit! Your dad called my mom on Monday and started setting this up, I'm gonna be there next weekend!"

"Oh my god Ash! I can't wait!" I shrieked.

"Me either! Oh, Josh is here, we're going to the movies. Talk to you soon, love you!"

"Love you too Ash, bye!" I hung up feeling so happy and excited before starting to feel a little sad.

My dad set up for Ashley to come visit? Is this because of what happened last Friday? Probably, but me hanging around with Juice must have pushing him over the edge. I know that Juice isn't the perfect preppy guy that my father wants me to be with but Juice is really nice and respectful despite his appearance and friends.

I heard someone walk up next me so I looked over my shoulder to find that boy, Kyle standing there. "Um hi?"

His cheek had a bruise, there was a cut through his eyebrow, and his lip was split. "Hey."

I got up and stood to look him in the eye. "Do you need something?" I asked him hesitantly.

He looked like he was going to say something rude but then the look on his face changed and he took a step back, stuttering, "I uh… wanted to apologize. For what I said earlier. So… sorry." With that, he went running away from me, making me wonder what was going on.

I turned around to see Jax standing with an angry-looking, older, bald, very tattooed man. Jax smiled and waved before they both turned and walked towards a long row of motorcycles.

The whole thing felt weird and I tried to shake it off while I went back towards the booths. I stopped by the SAMCRO table to say hello to Jax's mom. "Hi Gemma, how are you?"

"I'm good sweetie. How's everything?" Before I could answer, she added, "I heard you went out with Juice, how was it?"

I fiddled with a button on my sweater, "It was um, really nice. I think we both had a good time. But I'm not sure my parents are too keen on the idea of me dating him. My dad still wants me to be with my ex…" I realized I was rambling so my words trailed off as I looked away.

"Don't worry baby girl. I know he doesn't look like it but Juice is a good boy and they'll realize that eventually. If you ever need anything, you just let me know." She patted my arm before turning back to her chili.

I whispered a thank you, smiled to myself, and started back towards my parents but slowed when I saw the Elvis impersonator tent. The man kind of looked like the dead singer but he sounded more like him. I jumped slightly as Juice said, "Bobby tries to be like Elvis but…"

"There's something a little off?" I finished his sentence as I turned and smiled at Juice.

Juice flashed me his goofy grin, "Yep. So…" It was cute how nervous and timid he was around me. It really was hot outside so I decided to take off my sweater. His speech problems only got worse from there, it was flattering but I wasn't sure how to respond to it. "Uh, are you… do you… can we…"

"Are you asking if I want to hang out later?" I asked him. He didn't answer, he just nodded so I continued, "You can come over later and we can watch a movie or something?"

The look and smile on his face was so adorable. "Great."

I was about to respond but I heard my dad calling for me. I blew out my breath, "I gotta go but I'll see you later." I turned and walked away, casually looking back at him as I went. I saw Juice staring after me. Gosh he is so cute, I can't wait to hang with him later. Wait… what if my dad says no?

I spend the next hour trying to figure out how to tell my dad that I invited Juice over to our house. Around 1 pm, we had run out of items to sell so my dad packed up the booth while my mom went to buy a few more things. I decided to go say goodbye to Gemma and whoever else was over by the SAMCRO tent. I didn't find any of the guys, just Gemma. After a couple of minutes, I was on my way to the SUV to go home.

I decided to text Ashley to ask how I should break it to my parents: _I kinda invited Juice over to hang but didn't ask my parents first… What should I do?_

When we pulled into the driveway I got Ashley's reply: _Don't worry about the Admiral, Juice is a nice guy right? Just tell them, it'll be fine._

I rolled my eyes, she knows my parents and me but I know this won't be fine. Especially after the questions they were asking me today. I followed them into the house and into the kitchen where my mom was making us sandwiches. I was still trying to figure out how to tell them until I decided to just rip off the Band-Aid and get it over with.

"Um, mom? Would it be ok if Jui– uh Juan came over to work on some homework later?" I asked.

She put a sandwich in front of me, "Sure honey. Will he be staying for dinner?"

I shrugged, "I'm not sure."

My dad had come in front the garage, "Just make sure you keep your bedroom door open. I know what teenage boys are thinking, even boys like him."

I took several bites of my sandwiches and some chips, thinking about Juice and my parents. My dad obviously strongly disagrees but my mom is on the fence still. I picked up my iPhone to text Ashley and Juice.

'_Ash, my dad is so against Juice. How could I change his mind?'_

I waited for Ashley to text me back before texting Juice. She didn't have much to say: '_You just have to keep working at it. He'll come around eventually, right?'_

I took a deep breath and decided to text Juice: _'Hey Juice, you can come over whenever. Oh and bring your favorite movie.'_

I sent Ash another message: '_I hope so. I think I like Juice a lot.'_

Right after hitting send and eating another couple of chips, Juice had replied: _'I'll be there soon but I'd rather bring your favorite movie.'_

Did he remember what that was? I guess I'll find out. I quickly finished my food before running upstairs to freshen up and brush my teeth. I was debating changing my clothes when I heard the doorbell ring. He's here already? I didn't even hear his bike pull up. I ran out of my room and downstairs to get the door.

Juice was standing on the porch wearing exactly what he was before. He was beaming, "Hi Bailey."

I suddenly felt shy, "Hey, come on in."

I took a step back so he could walk in. He was about to lean in and kiss my cheek when my dad cleared his throat. "Hello again Juan." I saw the pointed look my dad gave him but I tried to ignore it.

"Hello sir." Juice said as he shifted and looked down at his feet. "Thank you for letting me come into your home."

"Yeah, just keep your hands to yourself." He warned before grabbing a newspaper and going upstairs to his home office.

I waited for him to get all the way upstairs before telling Juice, "I'm sorry about all this…"

Juice chuckled, "It's ok." He pushed his hat up and readjusted it, "But look what I got." He held up a DVD, Footloose.

I could feel my cheeks burning, "We don't have to watch that one…" I lead him towards the couch and flat screen TV. I picked up a DVD that I left sitting on the coffee table, Fight Club. "We can watch your favorite."

Juice let a smile creep across his face, "How about we compromise? Let's watch one we both haven't seen yet." He pulled another movie from inside his jacket, Final Destination 5.

I gulped. I'm not a big scary movie fan but they always intrigued me. It's like I wanted to watch them but I didn't want to go through the getting scared part. "Ok, I'll go get us some popcorn." I handed Juice the remotes he needed to set up the TV for us to watch the movies before going into the kitchen. I was about to start looking for some microwavable popcorn when I spotted a bag of kettle corn on the counter. I grabbed two cans of Coke and went back to find Juice had figured out the complicated system very quickly. "Is this ok?" I asked as I held up the snack and drinks.

He nodded and I took a seat next to him, handing him a can while setting down the bag of kettle corn. Juice pressed play and the trailers started. I was already so nervous and afraid of getting scared. I tried to take my mind off of it by opening the corn and my soda. I had seen the other movies in the series with Ashley or Brett; they were interesting but still scared me. I still remember when Brett laughed at me getting so scared I ran out of the theater. Also, when I called him to tell him I couldn't sleep or had a dream about the movie, he wouldn't give me the time of day.

The movie started, ominous and eerie like usual. I was still trying to relax and lean back against the couch and pulling a blanket up onto my lap. Juice seemed to be perfectly calm, without a care in the world. Thirty minutes into the movie, after the plot was explained, one of the characters dies tragically. I couldn't stop myself from jumping.

Juice looked over at me, "Are you ok?" There was a concerned look in his eye.

I nodded and took a sip of my soda. Five minutes later another character gets killed off. Again, I jumped and shrieked softly, turning my head away from the screen. Before I knew it, Juice's arm was around my shoulders and his other hand was taking my soda away from me, setting it on the table before sliding his hand into mine.

"You sure you're ok? We don't have to watch this…"

Was he really asking this? Like he would turn this off just for me? I saw that he was serious, "No, I'm fine. Really. Just a scared cat."

He gently tugged me closer to him before leaning us back into the couch. It felt good to be in his arms. Not that I would admit that to anyone. But he actually cared that I was frightened and wanted to comfort me. It was something different, something new, and something amazing.

Every time a character died a horrific death, I jumped and squeezed Juice's hand. He only held me tighter. By the end of the movie, I was nearly sitting on his lap from jumping and pushing myself closer to him. The credits started rolling but I wasn't ready to leave Juice's embrace. He wasn't ready to let go either. I looked up to see him looking at me.

"Sorry I'm such a baby…" I whispered.

He shook his head, "You're not. That movie was pretty gory. But I liked how the ending wrapped the whole series up."

I nodded, "Yeah, that was a twist I didn't see coming. I'm not normally like this but the paranormal, unexplained things weird me out." It was strange to be so vulnerable with someone other than Ashley.

"I know what you mean but don't worry, I won't leave things unexplained to you." He was being just as vulnerable as I was and it was sweet, innocent, and wonderful.

We were sharing a moment so enchanting that I had only read about it in books. I closed my eyes and willed my heart to slow down. I felt Juice press his lips to my forehead and then I heard my father. "What the hell are you doing?"

I sat up quickly, leaving Juice's warm hold, "Daddy, it's not what it looks like. We were just watching a movie."

Juice had stood up and distanced himself from the couch and me. "Sir, we were just watching…"

"I heard. A movie." My dad looked furious. "Shouldn't you be getting home, son?"

I heard heels clicking down the hallway and then my mom, "Ronald! You leave that boy alone. He is our guest and is staying for dinner." I had only ever heard her talk like this a few times when my father got a little to caught up in a moment.

I knew exactly what she was thinking. Juice had home problems, he and I were getting closer, and there was nothing but innocent actions taking place between us. I smiled gratefully at her, knowing she wouldn't be able to hold my dad back forever. Juice was still standing, silent, in the middle of the living room while my mom escorted my steaming dad out of the room and into the garage.

Juice wouldn't meet my eyes, "Bailey? I can just go home… it's ok."

"No. My mother said you're staying for dinner." I smiled and held out my hand towards him.

He cautiously took my hand and I pulled him onto the couch. I turned off the DVD player and changed the TV channel to some random show. I was sitting a foot away from him but still held his hand lightly.

Twenty minutes later, Juice and I were still in the same position on the couch and my parents finally came back in from the garage. I could tell things were tense so I slid my hand out of Juice's. My father walked straight past us without saying a word or looking at us. He went straight up to his room and I felt like I couldn't breathe until I heard his door shut. My mother went to the kitchen to start cooking dinner.

After a few awkward moments, Juice reached over and squeezed my hand. I smiled over at him and mouthed 'Sorry'. Juice shook his head and brought my hand up to his lips and gently kissed the back of my hand.

Before I could respond, my mother was calling us to the table. She was setting the table and dinner was ready. She had made pasta, garlic bread, and some salad. I pulled Juice behind me as I went to help her finish setting the table.

I took my seat and motioned for Juice to sit across from me. I froze when I heard my dad's footsteps on the stairs. He was less pissed but still storming over to the table. He and my mother sat before he spoke, "You gonna take that hat off?"

I felt chills spread through my veins. His hat. Juice was going to have to show my parents his head. The Mohawk and the tattoos. I looked at him, fearing for his safety when Juice easily pushed it off his head, whispering, "Sorry sir."

My eyes were transfixed on his head. There was actually a little hair on top of his head, hiding his tribal, lightning bolt tattoos. My father cleared his throat, "Juan, will you please say grace?"

It was an order phrased as a question. I was about to protest when Juice spoke up, "Of course sir." We all held hands and bowed our heads while Juice led us, "Thank you Lord for this wonderful meal that we are about to enjoy. Please bless our family, friends, and those friends that become family. Without you Lord, we would be lost in a desert of evil. We thank you, Lord, for providing us guidance and strength to keep moving forward in times of weakness. In your name we pray, amen."

After out chorus of amens, my mom spoke, "My, my. Juan that was beautiful." My father only nodded but I was surprised and beaming.

We ate the rest of the meal in silence. My father refused to talk but my mother tried to carry a conversation but it was difficult with my father sitting there sulking. Once everyone was finished, my mom and I cleared the plates while my dad returned to his office. Juice started to help my mom with the dishes but she told us not to, that she would do it by herself.

I thanked her silently before tugging Juice out of the kitchen. Before I could sit on the couch again with him, Juice stopped me, "Thanks for everything Bailey but I really should be going. I don't want to make your dad any more upset."

I tried to hide my frown. I didn't want Juice to leave but I knew he was right. "Ok, I'll walk you out." I slowly started walking towards the front door.

Juice called out, "Thanks for dinner, Mrs. Jones!" Before following me outside to the porch. "I hope your dad isn't too mad… I know that…"

I cut him off, "Did you grow your hair out for me?" He nodded, "Why?"

He looked down with a bashful smile, "Because… I like you and I want your parents to approve of me. I know you said that your dad is super strict…"

I didn't know what to say. It was incredibly sweet. No one had ever done something like this for me. The other couple of guys I had dated knew of my father but they didn't try to get him to like them for me, they did it for themselves.

"Juice…" I whispered.

Before I could saying anything else, I heard stomping feet on the stairs inside. Juice must have heard it too because he quickly leaned in and kissed my lips briefly, "I'll talk to you later." He flashed me his signature smile and then took off in a hurry to his mom's truck. Juice waved and then drove off right as the front door opened behind me.

I turned to see my father, "Good. Juan went home. Sweetheart, I know you think you know what's best but he may not be the guy you think he is."

I took a deep breath, "Daddy…"

"No, no. Please sweetheart. Just trust me. I've known tons of guys like him. He will never treat you like you deserve to be treated. Now come inside and get ready for bed." He held the door open, clearly signaling that the conversation was over.

I trudged inside and up the stairs, shutting my door behind me. Did he really think that Juice would be one of those guys? Every sign pointed to Juice being a good guy. I thought I was a good judge of character. Plus we had been hanging out for a week and nothing made me think he was a jerk.

I changed into my pajamas and went into the bathroom to wash off the make up and dirt from the day. After thinking for several minutes, I quickly texted Ashley. _Ash, my dad is freaking out about me hanging out with Juice. He thinks Juice is a bad boy but I think he nice._

I brushed my hair as I waited for Ashley to text back. A couple minutes later my phone vibrated. I looked down to see Juice had texted me: _Hey Bailey I had fun today. Can we hang out again tomorrow?_

I felt a smile cross my face as I thought of what to tell him. Before I could think of what to text, Ashley had responded: _I know it's tough B. You just gotta keep figuring Juice out and keep trying to convince your dad he's not what he looks like. Brightside! I'm gonna be there next weekend!_

I giggled lightly before sending: _Ok Ash, I'll do my best. I've missed you so much! I know it's only been like three weeks but after being attached at the hip I feel like I'm going through withdrawals._

I still wasn't sure what to tell Juice. My dad would never let us hang out at home again but I didn't want to go a day without seeing him. The thought surprised me. Had I really grown so attached to Juice that I needed to see him? I settled myself into bed as I sorted through my thoughts.

I really want to hang with him. He's fun, sweet, seems nice, and we have things in common. It doesn't hurt that he's good looking. I just want to keep getting to know him. What was holding me back?

I sighed and looked around my room, spotting a picture of my parents and me on my last birthday. Oh yeah, my parents. Juice isn't exactly their number one choice. Whether Juice and I are dating or just friends, my parents still wouldn't want me to know him.

After taking another deep breath, I decided I'd text him back: _Sure! Do you want to go to the movies?_

Anxiety crept into my brain while waiting for Juice to respond. I shouldn't have asked him, I should have waited for him to ask. Dang it, how is it that I always mess these things up? I kept beating myself up until I got Juice's answer: _That sounds great! Plus Jax says we can always go to his house. Want to meet me at the theater around lunchtime?_

_Ok see you there :)_ I quickly sent back as my eyes fluttered. I was feeling super tired after getting up early and staying up late the night before. Sinking further under the covers, I tried to relax and look forward to the next day.

Right as I closed my eyes, I fell into a deep sleep and nightmare.

I found myself looking in a mirror; I saw that I was dressed in a long, puffy, pink dress and a tiara. I felt like a princess as I turned around to see my room had a large, four-post bed covered with a canopy. It was the perfect princess room, except for one thing… It was round and the door was lock with a large, comical, rustic padlock. I went to the only window, it was open and I could hear people below. Looking down, I saw Juice, Jax, Opie, and some of the other men in vests talking. Juice looked up at me and yelled, "Bailey come down here with us!" I didn't even answer. My dad appeared behind me and slammed the shutters shut. "You will not join them. I know what's best and you will obey me." I shuddered and backed away. After a step, I felt a tug and saw my ankle chained to the center of the room. The locked door burst open and Juice was standing there with a sword. "I challenge you to a battle royale." I wanted to run to him but the chain wouldn't allow me. My father drew another sword and charged at Juice. I screamed and tried to stop them but I suddenly found myself surrounded by prison bars on all four sides.

When I jerked awake it was 10 am. Lord, what was I dreaming about? I rubbed my eyes and sat up. The sun was hitting my bed, right where my head was. I crawled out of bed and stumbled to the bathroom to shower. Right after my shower and drying my hair, I had to pick the perfect outfit. Before I went to the closet, I saw I had a text message from Ashley. She had sent it last night: _I feel the same. It's like I feel naked without my wing girl. But seriously, when are you going to see Juice again?_

I shook my head and grinned as I typed: _Today, girl. We're going to a movie and avoiding my dad, hopefully. Now to pick an outfit…_

Standing in my closet, I found my jeans from yesterday just laying on the ground. After slipping on undies, I nodded as I pulled them on. I pulled on a light purple v-neck and then my grey zip up hoodie. Deciding to put on my make up first and then my shoes, I grabbed my little bag as I shuffled into the bathroom again. What was I doing? Was this really a good idea? What did my dream mean?

Quickly applying make up and picking out some flip flops to wear, I went downstairs at 11:30. I found my parents sitting on the couch watching the news. "Hey, I'm going to the movies with a couple of girls I met at school."

"Ok honey, have fun." My mom called over her shoulder.

My father grunted before saying, "Are there going to be any boys there?"

I tried not to roll my eyes behind his back as I answered, "I don't think so but both the girls have boyfriends and you know how boys like to crash a girls day." With that, I grabbed my purse and phone as I hurried out the door and into my car. I drove straight to the theater, worrying the whole time about whether or not Juice would be there waiting or if I'd look lame standing all alone.

My fear was resolved when I spotted Juice standing right in front of the ticket counter, looking up and down the street, obviously looking for me. As soon as I drove by his face broke out into a huge smile. By the time I parked the car he was ten feet away from me. I got out and shyly smiled at him.

"Hey Bailey, how are you?" He asked as I walked towards him.

I stopped a step away from him, "I'm fine. I had a weird dream… but that's ok. What movie do you want to see?" He chuckled and opened his arms letting me step into him to hug him for a few seconds.

"I thought you could pick the movie." He said as I started to walk towards the theater. Before I could get very far, he tugged me back, "But first, I want to hear about your dream…"

I blushed, "It was… I don't… I can't remember all of it. I only know I woke up feeling weird about it." I made a mental noted to talk to Ashley about the dream later. I was trying to shrug it off and get the subject changed.

Juice only nodded and watched me carefully as we went towards the movie theater. Once we go to the ticket counter I decided we should see What's Your Number. He didn't even grimace; he just whipped out some cash and quickly paid before I could even try. I wanted to pay for something but he bought popcorn and sodas before I could do that either. He smirked as I protested but pulled me into the dark theater and to two seats in the middle of the room.

During the movie he slowly reached over and held my hand, it was cute and sweet. We laughed together as the characters discovered themselves and each other. After the movie, Juice didn't let go of my hand as we walked out of the room. It was nice to have him gently grip my hand as we left the building and went into the afternoon sun. I squinted towards him, wondering where this was all going and if our time together would be over for today.

He swiftly answered my thoughts as he suggested, "Do you want to come over to Jax's house?"

I nodded and smiled, secretly glad that our afternoon together was nowhere near over. I got in my car and he got on his bike, leading me to Jax's house again. Once there I saw that there were only two bikes outside of the house. Juice parked his bike next to the other two letting me leave my car across the street again.

I got out and Juice waited for me at the bottom of the driveway, walking me into the house. Gemma was waiting for us in the kitchen, sipping an ice tea. "Hey you two, want a snack?" Juice looked at me and waited for me to answer, like he depended on me and would go without if I said no. I must have hesitated too long because Gemma got off the stool she was leaning on, "I'll whip up something."

Juice chuckled, "That's Gemma for ya…" He took a deep breath before continuing, "What do you want to do?"

I shrugged, "Anything."

"Wanna see my makeshift bedroom?"

I giggled and nodded as he showed me down the hall and into a room. The bed was made and the rest of the room was very neat and tidy. Nothing was out of place. Not a speck of dust anywhere. It was impressive. I would have thought that his room would be a complete pigsty, clothes and trash thrown everywhere.

"Wow, it's so clean." I whispered as I looked and walked around.

"Yeah… I have a small case of OCD. I just like things to be…"

"Where they're supposed to be?"

"Exactly."

"I completely understand. I'm the same way."

We shared a moment of silence, realizing all the things we have in common. It was nice to finally have things in common with someone I was close to. That is besides Ashley. I didn't have anything in common with any guy I've ever dated other than the Navy. I sat down on his bed as he leaned against the wall.

My eyes were on him, waiting for him to make a move. I didn't have to wait long because he slowly strode towards me. I was nervous but as soon as his lips touched mine my worries melted away. He leaned down and kissed me lightly, before gently pushing me onto my back. As I fell back, he kneeled on the bed. Our lips continued to form to each other as he propped himself up by his elbows but slowly lowered his hips into mine. My hands stroked through his hair, touching his face and neck. One of his hands cradled my head and hair while the other was under my upper back. He rolled to the side, keeping one knee draped over my legs, his hands holding me to him, all while stroking my hair. I let my hands grip his shirt and cup his chin until…

I realized what we were doing. I pushed at his chest, really feeling how strong he was. It took a few seconds before he realized I was freaking out and pushing harder at him.

He eased off and pulled back, "Are you ok?" His arms were still around me but very loosely. I shook my head, sitting up and scooting away from him. "Bailey, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to…"

I held up my hand to stop him. I know that he thinks it's about that boy who attacked me last week. "It's not that." I took a few calming breaths. Was I really about to tell him? "It's just that…" I looked over at him, seeing him scared and alarmed. "My last boyfriend pushed me to… well he tried to push me into having sex before I was ready. It was the main reason we broke up. My parents don't know because they thought he was perfect. Plus he was a huge jerk to me. I just can't. I'm sorry."

Juice sat through my rambling, waiting for me to finish. "Bailey… I'm so sorry that happened. I promise I will NEVER do that to you. If you ever feel uncomfortable, just tell me and we will stop. I'm totally fine with it. Promise."

I wasn't sure he was serious or completely honest about it. Could I trust him? Well he did just stop our make out session and his face looks like he means it. "Thank you, Juice. It means a lot."

"I'm serious about this Bailey. Now c'mon, let's go watch TV in the other room." He stood up and held out his hand. When I uncertainly put my hand in his, he yanked me up and then led me into the front room. Gemma had put out a plate of small sandwiches and some waters before she went outside to do some gardening.

I was wondering who else was home when Juice sat down, "Jax and his stepdad must be asleep… What do you want to watch?"

I shrugged, "Some reality TV?"

"I hoped you would say that…" Juice said as he flipped on the TV and changed the channel to MTV.

We sat and watched Rob & Big for hours. It was hilarious; we couldn't stop laughing with each other. We ended up cuddling closer and closer together until his arm was around me, his hand was in mine, and my legs were over his. I was starting to dose off when a door slammed.

My eyes snapped open to see an older man storm out of the hallway swearing. I gripped Juice's hand and shirt tight as the man got closer and then went outside, slamming the door behind him again. I was so startled by this grey haired man.

Juice squeezed me into him while whispering, "Don't worry about Clay, he's probably just angry about work. You look tired, do you want to go home?"

I looked at our hands, not wanting to leave but knowing I needed to get home. "I should probably go, it's starting to get dark."

Juice nodded and helped me up, "Ok, you can follow me so you don't get lost."

He didn't let go of my hand as he escorted me to my car and then home. The second I walked in the house, I was bombarded by questions. "Where were you? What took so long?" My dad was still sitting on the couch as he hollered at me.

"I was at the movies and sitting downtown with these two girls in my class. Sorry I'm so late." I hastily went upstairs to avoid any other talk of who I was with.

Reflecting about the day, I realized that I really do like Juice and I don't think this was going to stop any time soon. It was excited but making me nervous at the same time. My dad is not going to be happy about this. But Juice is 100% different from any other guy I've ever met. It was exhilarating but terrifying at the same time.

I can't wait to see where this goes next.


	8. Seven

**Hey Reader, **

**Sorry for taking so long to update. I just hope this long chapter makes up for it! Don't worry, this story will keep getting better and better!**

**-Jennifer11**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Sons of Anarchy or anything that Kurt Sutter created.**

* * *

><p>I knew what my father thought. Every time he looked at me over the next couple of days I could see it in his eyes. It was written on his face, clear as day. Juice, aka Juan Carlos Ortiz, was a bad influence. A bad boy. A gang member. One of those heartbreakers who was only looking for action.<p>

But I also knew my father was wrong. Juice was a nice guy, he was kind and sweet. He was nothing like his image. At least he wasn't when I was around. Which was all that mattered to me.

Those other boys I dated had never bothered to hide their boredom around me. Sure we'd talk but it always felt forced. They'd be polite and courteous but they clearly perked up when my father was in the room. After a while, I stopped accepting dates. I learned to pick out those boys in a heartbeat.

Brett was an exception. He truly made me feel like he cared about me. Like he wanted to be with me and only me. I fell for him. Hard. It wasn't until the end of it that I realized he played me. Turned out that his friends had made a bet on how long he could keep up the charade and a bonus if he could get into my pants.

It hurt when I found out. I had cried for weeks. The way he acted at the beginning and then towards the end, was completely different. It all made sense: he was charming and caring when we first started dating and then turned heartless and cold, almost ignoring me the last month we were together. Ashley had warned me to be careful but even she was fooled by his smile and words for a while.

When she found out what he did, she keyed his car and spread the word around school and the Naval base that he was a complete asshole with a small penis. Ashley had a way of getting people to listen and follow her, quickly gathering every girl into an army. This army had made Brett's life a living hell for a week: bumping him roughly in the halls, glares, the whispers, and the TPing of his car, locker, and house. Not only did Ashley get girls to join her, but several of the boys joined her too. Our guy friends nearly terrorized him before, during, and after school. Lecturing him about how to treat a girl. It was nice and made me feel a little better but I eventually made them stop. After seeing him suffer, I felt like it was a little too much.

Brett wouldn't look at me but I held my head high, ignoring him, putting a fake smile on my face as I walked passed him in the halls. Ashley told me she was proud of me, that I was showing him what he was missing. It did feel good ending things with him before it got any further, but I could never bring myself to tell my parents. I felt foolish and embarrassed, plus they knew his parents. It just didn't seem right, no matter how much he hurt me and deserved it.

I remember thinking back then that Brett was the perfect guy. Looking back on the whole fiasco now, I realize how stupid I was. I swore to myself and to Ashley, that I'd never let another guy make me feel that way again. To feel so weak and violated, that every time I see his face I get scared or feel that I was too vulnerable.

Juice was the first boy I had met that I actually wanted to give a chance to. I know he isn't ideal, it was clear that his appearance wasn't normal but there was something about him that made me want to try again. Ashley would be even more proud that I was opening myself up again. I know she would approve of Juice. After all, she'd seen a picture of him and also knew that he acted completely different from his looks. I made sure to keep her up to date about everything. I even told her about our short make out session and how I freaked out, causing it to end. She told me it was normal, that I'd get better and be more relaxed about it. Ashley also thought it was sweet that he had promised it was okay for us to stop whenever I felt uncomfortable.

While avoiding my dad at home, I was trying to spend more time with Juice. We'd only gotten to see each other at school because my father insisted on driving me to and having my mom pick me up from. At least my mom was lenient, giving me about twenty to thirty minutes after school to see Juice. After Sunday's events, I got grounded for not telling them where I was. My parents took away my car but not my iPhone or laptop. I could still text and talk to Juice, as long as my father wasn't in the room.

Juice understood, keeping a distance while still letting me know he was interested in me. I tried to reassure him that I did in fact like him, but when I tried he wouldn't let me finish expressing my thoughts. He simply replied that he knew already and if I ever changed my mind he'd know that too. I didn't understand him sometimes but it was interesting and gave me butterflies every time I thought about him.

On Friday morning before school, I was standing with him, Jax, Opie, Tara, Donna, and Kyle. Kyle had never been around us before and I wondered why this week I had seen him more. I made a mental not to ask Juice about later.

I was very excited to see Ashley right after school and Juice knew. I knew that Juice was also eager to meet her, wanting to finally impress someone important to me. Obviously my father was against Juice, my mom was on the fence, but Ashley was a clean slate.

Right before the bell rang, my phone buzzed. I saw it was Ashley calling so I quickly answered it as I turned and started taking steps away from the group. "Hey Ash!"

"Hey B, I'm at the airport and …" Ashley spoke but she was breaking up, the connection was bad.

"What Ash? I can barely hear you." I held my phone in front of me to make sure it wasn't my fault.

"B… I… you… should know… he…" Ashley was trying to tell me something but I couldn't make it out.

"Ash? You're breaking up. Hello?" As soon as the words left my mouth I heard the low toned beeps that signaled a call failure. What was Ashley trying to tell me?

Juice slipped his hand into mine, "You ok?"

I looked up at him, "I dunno… She was trying to tell me something but there must not have been service... I just hope she's ok."

Juice squeezed my hand, "I'm sure she'll be fine. After what you told me, I know she's a tough cookie and can handle herself. Don't worry, you'll get to see her tonight." He was doing a great job cheering me up and making me smile. I felt a little better, especially when he asked, "If you want, we can meet up at the movies? My treat."

It would be the first time we're gone out or really hung out since Sunday. Of course I wanted to, plus I know that it'll help him win over Ashley. "That sounds perfect." I whispered before giving him a light kiss on the cheek right as the bell rang.

I pulled back to start walking to class but Juice gently tugged me back, kissing me on the lips. "I'll see you at lunch?" I nodded as we split up to go to our classes on opposite sides of school.

School passed by with very little happening. I giggled with Tara and Donna during lunch while Juice, Jax, Opie, and Kyle sat around whispering to each other. Even though we weren't talking to each other for a few moments, I caught Juice looking over at me several times. It was sweet and cute, we shared smiles, stolen glances, and all while our friends kept talking around us.

I hadn't heard from Ashley since the failed call. I tried not to think about it but it kept creeping back into my head. Juice must have noticed because he nudged me in class and slipped me a small piece of paper that read: _Hey, you ok? You know that Ashley will be fine. People have a higher chance of being in an accident on the way to the airport, than once they're up in the air. Plus I looked into it, Ashley is on the plane and it took off safely. She'll be landing as soon as the bell rings and you'll get to see her as soon as your mom gets back from SFO._

I smiled into my desk before folding it up and putting it into my backpack. I looked over at him and smiled before mouthing a _'Thank You'_. Juice really was the nicest guy I had talked to in a long time. It just goes to show that you can't judge a book by its' cover. The though of being close to Juice and knowing that he cared so much about me warmed my heart.

I wanted to hold his hand but I knew that Mr. Williams wouldn't hesitate to send me to Support Room. Especially after the incident between our teacher and me. He hardly ever called on me and I knew he was grading my quizzes extra tough. I purposely made sure I to lay low and studied hard to make sure he didn't have any tiny thing to catch me on.

As soon as the bell rang, I got up and collected my things, barely able to contain my excitement that school was over and I got to see Ashley. Juice was grinning towards me, like he knew exactly how excited I was. I knew I still had a about an hour before my mom would be back from the airport so I really wanted to spend time with Juice.

Juice stood up from his desk and smiled at me as we started walking out of the classroom, "So you're not going to race home?"

I giggled, "I want to but I'll just be sitting there. I'd rather spend the time with you." I blushed, feeling extremely vulnerable.

"Me too." He whispered quietly as he took my backpack and slung it over his shoulder.

Our hands brushed each other as we walked. I wanted to hold his hand but I was nervous. I know it's silly but what if he doesn't want to? Again our hands brushed by but this time, he caught my pinky and ring fingers. I felt a smile cross my face but I didn't look at him. We kept walking and a couple of steps later we had readjusted our hands, interlacing our fingers.

We were almost to the parking lot before either of us spoke again. Juice had stopped walking and pulled me back, "Hey…" He said softly.

I couldn't stop my grin, "Hey."

"I know your dad isn't my biggest fan and you're taking a risk to hang out with me… but… uh…" He seemed to be struggling with his words, hesitating a little too long because he was unsure of how to say his next words. I waited for him to speak but he was taking a long time. Juice looked away from me before his gaze drifted back to me. His eyes looked serious, "Will you… would you… I'm no good at this…" His voice was low and I could barely hear what he was trying to say. "Do you want to be my girlfriend?"

My mouth dropped, I was not expecting him to ask that. He didn't seem like a guy who had just one girlfriend. My dad saw him as a player but I knew he was a sweet, nice guy. My voice was a little raspy when I answered: "Yes." I practically threw my arms around him.

He caught me and sighed, blowing out his breath and chuckling as he held me to him. I barely heard him breathe: "Thank you God."

As I pulled away, he drew me back in and kissed me. We had kissed before but each time truly felt like the first time. I wanted it to last forever but someone cleared his throat. I jerked back and turned to see Kyle glaring at us. Had he heard our whole conversation?

"Juice, dude, what are you doing?" Kyle demanded.

I shifted but Juice kept his arms around me, holding me close to him even though I wanted to shrink away from this rude boy. "I'm chilling with my girl."

It felt so good to have him call me his. But Kyle was determined to ruin the moment. "What about the bro code?"

"Dude. We're not bros." Juice stood his ground, not letting this guy get between us.

Kyle grabbed Juice's vest, "This. Your cut. Makes us bros."

Juice slapped his hands away, "Stop it. I know what my cut means. Why don't you go ask you mom what yours means, since she's the only female who will talk to you."

With that comment, Juice turned us away from him and started to walk me towards Jax, Opie, Tara, and Donna. We barely made it five feet before Kyle shoved Juice as hard as he could, throwing us off balance. Juice stumbled a few steps but I tripped and went down hard. My left knee hit the ground first, then my hands. My body skidded to a stop as I grimaced. My knee was already starting to hurt and I looked at my hands to find them scrapped, barely bleeding.

I looked up to see Juice smash his fist into Kyle's jaw. Kyle wasn't going down easy, he retaliated by tackling Juice, lifting him up, then body slamming him to the ground. They were rolling on the asphalt, trading punches. This was different than the fake fighting I'd watch Jax, Opie, and Juice do during lunch or after school. This was real. And way too close to me.

With the way my knee was throbbing, I didn't think I could get up and move quickly out of their way. Luckily I didn't have to. Jax scooped me up easily and set me down on the hood of my car while I watched Opie grab Kyle off of Juice, dragging him towards their motorcycles.

Tara and Donna were suddenly next to me, checking to see if I was injured. Donna was poking at my hands while Tara was prodding my knee. She had mentioned she wanted to be a doctor one day and that she worked at a physical therapist's office after school but I didn't think she knew all that much.

I was looking around for Juice but I didn't see him. Nor did I see Jax. Tara snapped her fingers in front of my face to get my attention, "Hey. Bailey? I'm pretty sure that your knee isn't too bad. Probably just bruised. You should ice it when you get home. Why don't you go home, didn't Juice say your friend was coming to visit? We'll meet you at the movies tonight, ok?"

"But what about Juice?" I asked, not wanting to leave him if he was hurt.

Donna rolled her eyes and exasperatedly said, "Just go. He'll be fine and we'll make sure he gets home ok."

I reluctantly got into my car. What was wrong with Donna? Why is she always mad at me? Is it because she wanted to be with Juice? I thought she was with Opie. I really didn't want to go home without Juice but Donna was standing there, frowning at me with her arms crossed. Tara had disappeared, probably to wherever Jax and Juice were. I started my car and drove home, thinking the whole way about how weird Donna was acting and why she would possibly want to drive me away from Juice.

When I got home, I limped to the couch after grabbing an ice pack. I winced as the ice hit my knee. Why did Donna and Kyle not want me to be with Juice? I didn't want to really think about it because it was making me more and more upset. I turned on the TV to take my mind off of everything. Less than an hour later, the front door burst open and I heard squeals and footsteps.

"Hello? Bailey?" My mom called out.

"Damn girl! The picture you took does not do this place justice. Holy cow!" I heard Ashley nearly scream.

I jumped off the couch, ignoring the slight pain in my knee as I hurried to my best friend. I froze in the doorway before the foyer. I wasn't expecting to see three people standing just inside the front door.

"Brett…" I hissed.

Ashley looked the same as she always did: wild blonde hair, glittery make up, jeans, sandals, an off the shoulder tee shirt that showed off her fake tan, and her vibrant green eyes that hinted at secrets constantly.

Brett had not changed either: his clean cut light brown hair, sparkly blue eyes, Lacoste green polo, khaki slacks, and the polished Tommy Hilfiger boots. His preppy look that drove parents wild but drove me crazy. It was enough until it seemed boring and plain.

My mom smiled at me and continued into the kitchen to put together a snack for her guests. I stood there, dumbfounded, not sure what to say about Brett being in my house. Why was he here? Did my dad bring him here behind my back?

"What, you're not going to say hi?" Brett said with a smirk. He knew I didn't want to see him. I hadn't talked to him since we broke up six months ago.

My eyes traveled to Ashley, who was standing there with a guilty look on her face. Was this what she was trying to say this morning? Was she trying to warn me?

"Um. Hi?" I said unenthusiastically.

Ashley decided to take charge, "B, show me your room?"

I didn't have time to agree, she grabbed my arm and tugged me upstairs. Brett knew enough to stay downstairs and sweet talk to my mom because Ashley and I weren't going to listen to him.

As soon as my bedroom door shut, Ashley burst like she'd been holding something in all day, "I'm so sorry! I tried to tell you this morning but I had no service. I was stuck sitting next to him the whole plane ride over and I couldn't say anything once your mom was there because for some reason you won't tell your parents what an awful guy he is. I didn't know he was coming until this morning! I swear."

She finally stopped so I could respond, "I'm not mad at you. I'm just frustrated. Not just about this. I mean, yeah, I'm mad he's here but I'm so upset about what happened after school today…" I sat down on my bed as I told her all about the fight and how Donna was acting.

Ashley listened and then hugged me, "B, I know it seems hard right now but I'm sure it will all work out. That girl is probably just jealous. Let's be real, Juice is hot and you deserve him."

I giggled through my teary eyes, "Ash, you always know how to make me feel better. But seriously, how am I going to survive this weekend with you-know-who here?"

She shrugged, "The same way we always get through tough times." She winked at me, "Dance like no one's watching and laugh at ourselves."

We burst out laughing and hugging each other as we reminisced about some of the best times we'd had together. My phone rang, ending our talk. I saw it was Juice and I was afraid to pick it up. Ashley nudged me, whispering, "You better get that…"

I sighed as I slid the unlock bar and held the phone up to my ear, "Hello?" Ashley grabbed my hand and pressed speaker so she could listen to the whole conversation.

"Hey Bailey?" Juice started. He sounded worried, "I just want to apologize. I was being immature earlier but Kyle…"

I cut him off, "Juice?" He stopped so I could talk, "It's not your fault. Kyle started it."

"But you got hurt…" Juice was definitely scared as he mentioned me falling down.

"I'm fine. I swear. Will I see you later? What time do you want to go to the movies?"

"Uh… how about around 7? I'll bring Jax, Opie, and the girls…" He sounded a little more normal.

I wanted to tell him about Brett being there but I didn't know how to word it. "Sounds great. I'll see you then." I had to tell him. "Um, Juice? I have to tell you…"

"See you later Juice!" Ashley yelled before hanging up the phone quickly.

I looked at her, "Why'd you do that?"

"Because you were going to tell him and ruin the whole weekend. He'll find out, don't worry. Plus if he's as great as you say he is, douche bag won't even matter." I wasn't so sure but Ash was always coming up with good plans. "Now, I'm going to shower and wash the plane off of me. You should change, 'cause your clothes are a little dirty from earlier. Put on something cute that Juice will like and that will drive Brett insane."

I shook my head as she grabbed a clean towel and went into my bathroom before getting up to change. She was right; my clothes were dirty from falling down. I decided to wear a white dress with large blue flowers on it that buttoned up the front, which was tight in the right places but still loose enough to be comfortable. After brushing my hair, I slipped on brown, strappy, heeled, sandals.

Right when I was putting on a little more make-up, Ashley came out of the bathroom wrapped in the towel. "Damn B! You're sexy!"

She quickly dried her hair before slipping into her outfit: a pair of tight jeans, black pumps, an off the shoulder dark purple tee, and plenty of bangle bracelets. Even though I felt like I looked pretty, Ashley always managed to one-up me and look drop-dead gorgeous. It was actually fine by me, I didn't like to be the center of attention and she did.

By the time we were both putting the finishing touches on each other, it was six. We decided to go downstairs and grab something to eat before we left to go meet my new friends. I didn't even want to deal with Brett. I just wanted to hang with Ashley and my new boyfriend. It felt amazing and so right to call him that.

Ashley and I entered the kitchen to find Brett sitting at the counter eating a sandwich. His jaw dropped a little when he saw us but I rolled my eyes at Ashley, causing both of us to giggle. My mom set a bowl of salad in front of us while shooting a questioning look in my direction. Ashley must have been starving because she dug into the bowl in a hurry. I picked at it, not sure I really wanted to eat.

"So what are your plans?" My mom was clearly trying to figure out if I was going to see Juice or not. I couldn't bring myself to tell her that we were, in fact, dating.

"Um... I think we're going to meet some of my friends from school at the movies and then see what happens." I replied hesitantly.

"Ok honey, be safe." Was all my mom said.

Brett crossed his arms and he was looking me and Ashley over, as if he was trying to decide if he wanted to let the world see us like this. I honestly don't care what he thinks because I think we look amazing. Maybe a tad bit overdressed for a movie theater in a small town but we'd definitely be turning heads.

There was an awkward silence before Ashley nudged me. I looked at the microwave and saw the time, "Oh look at the time. I told the girls we'd meet them in five minutes! We're gonna be late." I got up and grabbed my purse, pulling Ashley behind me, "Bye mom!"

I heard Ashley whisper behind me, "How are we gonna ditch Brett?"

Truthfully, I didn't know what to do about Brett. I didn't want him around but what other choice did I have? I shrugged and shot her a warning look, letting her know to back off the subject for a while. We all got into my Mustang: Brett in the back seat, Ashley in the passenger, and I drove. Butterflies were dancing in my stomach as we headed to the theater. What will happen when we get there?

I didn't have to wait long because no more than 10 minutes later we were there and walking towards the ticket counter. I hadn't seen Juice yet but my stomach was starting to hurt worse. Ashley squeezed my hand, pulling me out of my thoughts. Looking up, I finally spotted Juice, Jax, Opie, Tara, and Donna, as well as another boy who looked younger. They weren't wearing their cuts but they all had on SAMCRO shirts that I had seen them wear several times.

Picking up pace, I hurried to Juice, throwing my arms around his shoulders. I heard him laugh as he hugged me back. Ashley giggled at me, knowing she hadn't seen me like this in a long time. I knew Brett was probably getting heated but I didn't care.

When I pulled back and stood next to Juice, I pointed at Ashley, "This is my best friend Ashley. Ash, this is Juice." Juice looked a little shy but Ashley didn't mind, she walked up to him and hugged him like they'd known each other for a long time.

"Nice to meet you." Juice said politely.

"It's great to finally meet you." Ashley said with a huge grin.

I looked over at Brett and saw him fuming. It secretly made me happy to see him so mad. The new boy were checking Ashley out while I introduced her to the rest of the group.

"Ashley, this is Jax, Tara, Opie, Donna, and I'm sorry but I don't know your name…" I said to the new boy.

"I'm Kip." He replied as he shook Ashley's hand.

All of a sudden, Brett cleared his throat, "Um, hi, I'm Brett."

There was a chorus of 'heys' but no one was particularly friendly to him. I was glad that my new friends weren't thrilled to have another guy joining their group. It could have been because he was an outsider or because Ashley was frowning at him. Even though they barely met him, the group already though Brett wasn't a nice guy. Maybe it was time to tell my father what Brett did.

"So. What movie are we seeing?" Tara said, breaking the tension.

Kip looked at the board and suggested, "30 Minutes Or Less."

Juice paid for himself, me, and Ashley but purposely didn't pay for Brett. Once inside, I bought us a large popcorn and three sodas. Brett looked like he was getting more and more frustrated. Why did he care? Why did he come here?

Tara picked out our seats, sitting down in the middle row. Jax sat next to her, Opie next to him; Donna was next, and then Kip. Ashley sat next to Kip, I sat next to Ashley, Juice quickly sat next to me, and left Brett to sit next to him. I wondered how Juice felt about Brett but I couldn't ask him. Not now. Maybe later when we were alone.

Juice held my hand during the movie while sharing my popcorn. He was sweet, making sure I was enjoying the movie. Towards the end of the movie, he put his arm around me, pulling me into him a little and kissing my cheek. I smiled and looked at him before turning back to the movie.

Once it ended, we all stretched and got up. Walking slowly to the exit, Juice snagged my hand, holding it gently as we headed to the parking lot. I shyly smiled at him. It was the best feeing in the world.

I looked over at Ashley, seeing her walking close to Kip while giggling. Oh Lord, she better not be trying to hook up with him. I know my best friend isn't loose like that but she could weasel her way into getting a guy to buy her presents. She was very good at getting guys to fall for her but they never lasted.

Looking back at Brett, I saw him moping. I was glad but I wish he could leave. I didn't want him hanging around all weekend. If I never saw him again, I'd be relieved.

When we got to my car, I didn't want the day to end. I hesitated just long enough for Kip to say, "Hey, why don't we go over to Jax's? I'm sure they're having a party. We should join." I was unsure if I wanted to, it seemed sketchy. "C'mon, it'll be fun!"

Juice looked down, like he didn't want me to say yes. Ashley nudged me and gave me a knowing smile. I nodded and answered, "Yeah, let's do it!"

Jax and Opie looked surprised, Tara and Kip were grinning, and Donna was pouting. Brett looked like he was planning something. I put a smile on my face as I looked back at Juice. He looked worried but was trying to hide it with fake excitement.

The guys went to their motorcycles while Tara and Donna piled into my car with Ashley, Brett, and me. Tara slid behind the wheel to drive us to Jax's house. I was nervous and could feel my stomach twisting but I wanted to hang out with Juice more.

Tara got us to Jax's house in less than five minutes. The boys lined their bikes up next to all the others while we got out of my Mustang. The boys put on their cuts while Ashley slipped her arm into mine and pulled me towards the house. Tara, Donna, Jax, Opie, and Kip were already heading through the door while Brett and Juice waited for me and Ashley.

"You don't have to if you don't want to…" Juice started to mumble.

Ashley rolled her eyes, "Of course we want to." She replied while tugging me towards the house.

We kept walking to the house, hearing the loud music and rowdy men inside. Having Ashley next to me definitely boosted my confidence but something told me that something bad was going to happen.

As soon as we crossed through the doorway, I found myself surrounded by rough looking men, scantily clad women, and alcohol. I froze for a moment until Juice steered me to the kitchen. I'd seen people drinking before and I had even tried a little bit but I never really liked to do it. It didn't seem like a great idea. You could potential ruin your life by drinking too much.

Juice smiled at me as he popped open a new can of Coke. It was very loud so he leaned in and spoke into my ear, "I don't know if you want any alcohol…"

"Maybe not right now." I smiled, he knew I wasn't into heavy drinking.

He handed me the can, at least he was making sure I knew he wasn't trying to get me drunk or push me to do anything I didn't want to do. He grabbed himself another can of Coke and took my hand to lead me into the party again. He led me through the house, introducing me to several guys. I couldn't keep up but I know there was a Bobby, a Chibs, and a Piney. After walking around the party, Juice settled on a spot for us to sit. He sat on a recliner and pulled me down with him, guiding my hips onto his thigh and the armrest. It was very comfortable, especially when he put his arm around me.

I hadn't seen Ashley but Juice reassured me that Kip was a good guy. My eyes were drawn to Brett sitting in the corner talking to Kyle. What were they doing? I wondered as I sipped from my can.

Jax and Tara sat near us, we were talking about the movie, how funny it was and how we didn't think they'd get out of the situation. Thirty minutes into the conversation, I had finished my can and set it down.

Juice drummed his fingers on my back, "Wanna go outside? It's a little loud in here…"

I nodded and got up; he caught my hand and launched himself out of the chair, following me out to the backyard.

We walked past Ashley in the kitchen. "Hey girl! Where you been?" She practically shouted at me.

I giggled, "Around… what have you been up to?"

It was her turn to giggle, "Nothing…" There was a devilish look in her eye, "But making out with your boyfriend's friend."

Typical Ashley. I loved that about her. In fact, I envied it. She did whatever she wanted, whenever. While I couldn't bring myself to do anything. I hugged her and took a sip of her drink. There was no alcohol in it but she was still having fun.

"I've gotta go find Kip!" She squealed as she left the room.

Juice was chuckling as he pulled me close to him and whispered, "Don't worry, she'll be fine." He grabbed two bottles of water and opened the back door for me.

I smiled and went outside with him, finding us alone. It was peaceful and the pool was beautiful. Juice kicked off his boots and peeled off his socks before rolling up his jeans and sitting next to the pool, letting his feet dangle in the water. He looked up at me with his goofy grin and patted the spot next to him. Kicking off my sandals, I smoothed my dress and sat next to him.

He opened a water and handed it to me, "So, what do you think about the party?"

I took a sip before I weakly smiled, "It's… intense. But everyone seems to be having fun so…"

Juice looked at me seriously, "But are you having fun?"

"Yes. Any time I get to hang with you is fun." I responded.

He seemed to perk up at this and put his hand behind me, leaning closer to me. "You know, I like you."

"I know." I whispered.

As he smiled, he leaned in and kissed me sweetly. I felt butterflies in my stomach but I was so excited to be able to kiss him. We continued our light make out session until we heard someone approach us and say, "Uh excuse me?"

Juice pulled back first and looked behind me, "What is it man?" He half growled out.

I turned and looked to see Brett with his arms crossed and a frown on his face. "Can I talk to Bailey? Alone?"

Feeling Juice's eyes on me, I knew I didn't want him to leave me but I also knew that Brett wouldn't leave us alone until I agree. "Fine."

Juice hesitated and whispered to me, "Are you sure?"

I subtly shook my head but whispered back, "He won't leave until I talk to him. It's ok, don't worry. Can you go get us a snack?"

He finally agreed, got up, put on his socks and boots, before glaring towards Brett on his way inside. I got up and slipped into my sandals then stood in front of Brett, "What do you want?"

"Why have you been avoiding me?" He demanded.

I shifted, feeling super uncomfortable, "I haven't…"

"Yes, you have." His eyes looked angry.

"Brett, look…"

He took a step closer to me, "No. You look. I came here for you. Your dad told me you've been hanging out with these criminals and now I see it's true. You deserve better than that and to be yourself, not rebelling and being someone you're not."

I backed away from him, feeling myself getting angry, "They're not like that. And you don't even know who I am. Who are you to tell me what I deserve? You think I deserve you?" I scoffed and tried to walk around him and back to the party.

He grabbed my hand, making me whirl around, "You and I belong together. I'm sorry I made that bet and then tried to force you to have sex but we were meant for each other."

I tugged my hand, trying to get it out of his but he tightened his grip. "You're hurting me. Please let go."

He shook his head, "I'm not letting you go this time." He pulled and squeezed my hand even stronger.

The grip he had on my wrist was tight and twisting my hand until it was really starting to hurt. "Oww…" I whimpered.

I was so sick of him trying to tell me what to do. He had done it the whole time we dated and now he was trying to force me to get back together with him. I felt something snap inside of me, all my anger towards him for what he did just broke away. My arm reared back and I punched him in the jaw as hard as I could. He staggered backwards and I threw my fist into his chest before kneeing him in the crotch.

He gasped and collapsed to his hands and knees, "What the fu-"

"Don't you ever touch me again. And I'm telling my father exactly what you did." I threatened him before turning around to see Juice standing a few feet from the house.

There was a look of disbelief on his face as he said, "**He's** your ex?"

Feeling embarrassed I nodded as I whispered, "Yes."

Juice stormed past me and grabbed Brett off the ground. "Why would you ever do something like that to a girl like Bailey?" Brett didn't respond. Then Juice sucker punched him in the face, giving him a black eye, "You will never touch my girlfriend again. If you ever so much as look at her, you're fucking dead."

While in the house, Juice must have seen what happened and told a few others because now there was a crowd gathering. Brett was still on the ground wiping his mouth with his shirt while Juice walked over to me. After pulling me into him and hugging me tightly, he took my hands, "You didn't hurt yourself did you?" His fingers were prodding my hands and wrists, checking for bruises or broken bones.

Ashley was immediately next to us, "What the hell happened to douche bag?"

"I punched him. Then Juice punched him." I said quietly.

"Don't forget you kicked him in the nuts." Juice added.

"Why?" Kip asked. He and the rest of them were confused.

Juice answered for me, "That's Bailey's ex." They nodded but weren't 100% clear as to why there was an altercation.

I nodded as Juice wrapped his arm around my shoulders, making me feel a little better. Brett was only just getting off the floor, he limped towards us and whined, "Please Bailey… Don't tell your father. It'll ruin my chances of getting into Annapolis next year."

Tightening his arm around me, Juice glared at my ex boyfriend and growled, "I don't think that's up to you."

Ashley joined in, "You should have thought about that before you made that bet."

I shot her a look, "Ash!"

"What bet?" Juice asked. He looked puzzled as his gaze switched back and forth between Brett, Ashley, and me.

Brett was smirking, baiting Juice, "You didn't hear? Your girl put out to win a bet."

I gaped at him. Why would he say something like that? I pulled away from Juice and yelled, "You know that's not true! You're such an ass!" I wanted to hit him again as I charged before I found myself being held back.

Struggling, I was trying to claw at Brett but I found that the angry, tattooed, bald man that was with Jax last weekend, had his arms around me and wouldn't let me move. I pushed at his hands and arms but he's much stronger than me. Brett stood there sneering until Juice slammed into him, knocking him to the ground. Still trying to free myself from the random man so I could kick Brett's ass myself, I watched as Juice punched Brett several times.

After a few minutes, Gemma appeared in the backyard, yelling, "What the hell is going on out here!" A couple of men rushed over to Juice and Brett, pulling them apart while Gemma demanded, "Explain yourselves."

The dark haired man named Tig was holding Juice back while a man, who I think his name was Chibs, was restraining Brett. Brett grinned through the blood pouring out of his lip and nose, "Nothing ma'am. Just a misunderstanding."

Juice was huffing, "There's no misunderstanding. You hurt Bailey. I hurt you."

Ashley finally spoke up, "Um, excuse me? Can I explain…" She started to tell Gemma about the past between Brett and me.

I truly felt embarrassed and I wanted to crawl into a hole. The man was still holding me to him but I had stopped trying to free myself from him. Instead, I used him to lean against as my dirty laundry got aired in front of half of the party. I could feel hot tears gliding down my cheeks and my chest heaving. On the verge of hyperventilating, I turned into him and the man's arms around me felt tighter, like he was trying to keep me from freaking out.

Chibs took something from his pocket and wrapped it around Brett's wrists before Brett knew what was going on. Chibs pulled tight and had zip tied my ex's hands behind his back while snarling, "You should never disrespect women."

Gemma turned to the man holding me and started delegating, "Happy: take the girls inside. Tig: let go of Juice. Chibs: clean this boy up and make sure he doesn't get lose. The rest of you: get back to the party."

I barely heard Juice say to the group, "Don't hurt him. We can't, ok? Just clean him up and I'll get him back to Bailey's house later."

The man, I now know as Happy, even though he doesn't look very happy, started to pull me towards the house. I didn't want to go and leave Juice but Happy wouldn't let me. Instead he picked me up and carried me into the house. Ashley, Tara, Donna, Jax, Opie, and Kip were following closely but Juice didn't budge.

Once inside the house, Happy let the way to Juice's room. He set me down on the bed and let the other girls come into the room before standing in the doorway and waiting. Ashley sat next to me with Tara on my other side and Donna at the foot of the bed. My best friend had grabbed a towel and was patting it against my cheeks to dry up the tears and make up while Tara was holding my hand.

Donna finally spoke up, "Bailey? I'm really sorry."

I looked at her in shock, was she really apologizing for being such a bitch to me the past couple of weeks? Ashley was looking at her suspiciously, "For what exactly?"

"For judging you before I got to know you. I didn't realize that you had a bad dating past and I thought you were just some princess slumming it with us. Plus I didn't think you could hang with the type of life these guys lead. But after tonight I know it was a real bitch move and I'm very sorry. To be honest, you and Juice are probably a great couple and work well together. I hope you can forgive me and we can be friends."

Her speech explained a lot. Why she'd been giving me dirty looks and the cold shoulder. At least now we can move forward and become friends in the near future. "I accept your apology." I whispered to her.

We heard Happy grunting from his position at the door and I realized how weird it was that he was just standing there. I wasn't one to question an angry looking man but somehow he made the environment around us safe without saying anything.

Sitting on the bed for a few silent minutes, I decided to talk to the girls about my plan. "I'm gonna go home and tell my parents about what Brett did. I don't know why I held back for so long. They have to know and I'm going to tell them. Tonight."

They all nodded and agreed. Tara hugged me, "That's a very brave decision and I'm so glad you're going to do it. If you ever want to talk, I'm here for you." She took my phone and added her number to it.

The next few minutes were silent but friendly. All of a sudden there was no more tension between us. It was nice to finally have a group of friends. Ashley was always going to be my best friend but having Tara and Donna there was a close second.

Just when I was wondering if Juice was going to join us, he showed up and I heard him mutter to Happy, "Hey Hap, can you let me in?" Happy nodded and Juice smiled, "Thanks. For everything."

Juice walked into the room with Jax, Opie, and Kip. Happy disappeared from the doorway and the boys stood awkwardly in the small room. Donna and Tara gave me a hug before getting up and leaving the room with their boyfriends.

Kip cleared his throat, "Uh Ashley? Wanna go for a walk?"

She shot me a look and didn't move until I nodded. I pushed her off the bed and towards Kip while mouthing, "Just go."

After everyone left the room, I felt so small. Juice was leaning against his desk with his arms crossed. To be honest, he looked so hot but also like he was pissed. I pulled me legs up to my chest and waited for him to say something, anything.

He finally spoke softly, "Why didn't you tell me?"

I shrugged, "I tried…"

"Ok well… you should have tried harder." He was definitely angry about the whole thing.

"Juice… I'm so–" I started.

"You're sorry? I know Bailey. I want to be your boyfriend but we have to communicate. I know you've dated guys before me but I didn't expect to have one show up and try to hurt you." His face was stone cold but he sounded concerned.

I didn't know what to say. He was right, I should have told him. But at the same time, it wasn't my fault. "Juice? I didn't know he was coming and I didn't think I'd ever see him again. I was scared to tell my parents about everything because honestly, it was embarrassing. My father taught me to not trust others and I let myself fall for him. It was a huge mistake and I regret it. I also regret not telling you. I told you part of the story but not all of it because I didn't want you to think I was some dumb girl. Plus I can handle my own problems, my dad put me in boxing and marital arts classes since I was six." I crossed my arms and looked away from him. I was mad that he was practically blaming it on me. Brett showed up at my house earlier and I was flabbergasted. What was I supposed to do?

The tears were starting to rise and I could felt myself getting flustered. Juice didn't say anything for several long moments. I was frustrated as I angrily wiped at my eyes. Why wasn't he saying anything?

Finally Juice responded, "I didn't mean… I just meant… God, now I feel like a jerk." He covered his face with his hands. Even though I was angry with him, he was really cute like this. "Bailey. I like you a lot. Seeing another guy hurt you and say things like that to you… it's gut wrenching. I just want to be there for you. To make sure no one else hurts you."

I was taken aback. He actually wanted to protect me from the dangers of the world. The only time I had heard a guy say this was in the movies. Slowly, I scooted to the edge of the bed and got up. I didn't want to be the one to cave first but he was so sweet and I wanted to hug him. Standing, I studied Juice before walking to him.

"I'm sorry." I whispered, "I promise I'll tell you next time one of my ex-boyfriends comes to town." I was trying to make a joke but I was worried he'd take it too seriously.

His face broke into a huge, goofy grin. "You better." He winked and opened his arms, pulling me in for the best bear hug I had ever be in. "Let's be real, how many more exes could there be?"

"Oh, you know me." I said flirtatiously.

Juice finally leaned in and kissed my lips briefly, "C'mon. I should get you home before your dad comes looking for you. If you need me after you talk to your parents you can call or text me."

"Thanks Juice." I said quietly as I hugged him tight again.

After a minute, he pulled back and took my hand, leading me out of the room through the house and to my car where Brett was sitting in the back seat. I paused for a long moment. I didn't want to be anywhere near him.

I felt Juice press his lips to my temple and whisper, "His wrists are zip tied behind his back still. Don't worry." I hesitantly got into the driver's seat to see Kip putting Ashley into the passenger seat. I looked back at Juice, nervously. He gave me a weak smile, "Do you want me to follow you?"

Biting my lip, I wasn't sure. If he followed me, my father might be pissed. But either way, my father was going to be in a bad mood tonight. Right now, I needed all the support I could get. "Please?" He seemed reluctant but agreed and went to start his bike.

Ashley grabbed my hand, "Are you sure?" As I looked over at her, I wasn't sure about anything.

Brett cleared his throat, "Um… can you cut this off? Come on girls, I'm not going to do anything."

He was trying to persuade us to cut him free but luckily, Ashley turned and slapped him hard. She practically screamed at him, "You don't get to talk! After all you've done to my best friend? You shouldn't even be allowed in her car!"

"Please. Stop. Ash, it's ok. We're going home and then I'll cut him free." I said softly.

I felt emotionally exhausted after everything that happened tonight but the night wasn't even over. I still had to come clean to my parents. Starting the car, I quickly drove through the night to my house. At each stop sign and light, I looked back and saw Juice and Kip behind us.

Less than ten minutes later, I pulled up to my house and got out. Ashley followed me and stood next to me while Juice and Kip drove slowly by, wishing us luck and to call them later. As much as I wanted Juice next to me when I told my parents, I knew it was something I had to do by myself.

Locking the car behind us, I marched straight into the house and found my parents in the kitchen. "Mom? Daddy? There's something I have to tell you." Ashley was standing barely behind me, making sure I knew she was there.

"Where's Brett?" My father asked.

My mother spoke over him, "Where have you been?"

"We were at a Tara's boyfriend's house." Ashley said quietly.

"Look, I have to tell you something about Brett…" My parents sat at the kitchen counter and listened patiently while I explained the whole story. How Brett made a bet that he'd get me to fall for him and sleep with him and when I declined he tried to trash my reputation. Ashley held my hand as I felt my voice wavering and my emotions getting the best of me again.

When I finished, my mom looked at me with pain in her eyes and my father looked like he was ready to kill someone. He growled out, "Where is he?"

I wiped my tears as Ashley told them, "He's in the car still."

My father stormed out of the house and the three of us followed. As he pulled Brett out of the car, my parents saw the damage done to Brett's face. "What happened?"

"Sir, he just attacked me!" Brett tried to exclaim.

"That's not true! Bailey punched him first!" Ashley cried out.

"Let's take this all inside please." My mother said calmly while demanding that we follow her.

Ashley and I hugged each other, following my mother as my father dragged Brett to the house. Once inside the house, Ashley sat me down on the couch while my father sat Brett down at the kitchen table and cut the zip tie to his wrists. My mom had grabbed the first aid kit from the bathroom and was trying to clean Brett up.

"Explain yourself." My father demanded.

"Sir, I know she's your daughter but she's not telling you the truth. Her new 'friends' are criminals and attacked me!" Brett tried to spit out.

"I always knew there was something off with you." My mother muttered under her breath.

"Bailey, sweetheart, please come to the table." My father was speaking calmly to me. I went to the table and sat next to my father. "Let's hear your side. Did you really punch this boy?"

I nodded, "Yes. He hurt me and then tried to lie about it."

After looking at Brett again, "Who else punched him?"

"Juan Carlos." I spoke as I looked at my hands. "After finding out what Brett did, Juan 'defended my honor' and started fighting with him."

My father nodded and took a few minutes to think. "Sweetheart, I'm so sorry that this boy hurt you. I'm sorry I brought him here and I didn't think about how it would affect you. I just thought seeing him would help separate you from your new friends. Apparently, I misjudged Juan and the other people in this town. I want you to invite Juan over for dinner tomorrow so I can apologize to him. Can you and Ashley please go to your room and get ready for bed?"

I was shocked. In all my life, I hadn't seen my father apologize very often. I knew he meant what he said and he was completely serious. Ashley and I left the room but hid around the corner so we could listen in on the rest of the conversation.

I listened as my father's voice turned angry, "I cannot believe you did that! Have you no respect for the opposite sex? What is wrong with you? I **will** be calling your parents to tell them about what you did. You **will** be going home first thing in the morning. You **will** apologize to my daughter. And I **will** be writing a letter to the dean at your school. Whether or not this affects your future, it up to what you do from this point forward. I'm going to recommend a large sum of community service hours that you will complete before you even try to apply for Annapolis. Does this sound reasonable to you son?"

"Yes sir." Brett barely whispered, knowing he had finally been defeated.

Ashley nudged me; we both knew we had to move before we got caught eavesdropping. Quietly but quickly, we crept up the stairs and my bedroom. We changed and washed our faces. I felt so drained. I just wanted to go to sleep but I knew we should call Juice first.

I grabbed my phone and dialed, waiting for him to answer. After three rings, he picked up, "Hey Bailey, you ok?" He asked quickly.

Of course Ashley pressed speakerphone before I responded, "Yeah. Never better."

"It was so nerve-wracking." Ashley chimed in.

"I bet." Juice said.

"My father actually invited you to come to dinner tomorrow night, so you better be here." I was smiling; glad this whole thing was finally over.

"I wouldn't miss it for the world." I could tell he was smiling and it got my butterflies going again.

"I'm so tired!" Ashley cried as she fell backwards onto my bed.

"I'll talk to you tomorrow, ok Juice?" I giggled.

He chuckled, "I can't wait."

"Bye." I whispered.

He whispered back, "Goodnight Bailey, sweet dreams."

Ashley took my phone and hung up before tossing my phone onto the nightstand. "I can't believe you finally got your revenge on Brett."

"I know, it seems like it was dragging on forever." I laid down next to her and pulled the blankets over my shoulders. "Thank you so much Ash, for everything."

"You're welcome B. You know I'll always be there for you. The whole country can't pull us apart." She was right. We'd always be best friends no matter what else could possible happen to us.

We fell asleep after talking to each other for what seemed like hours. I was anxious to see what my father had to say to Juice and what he would say when he found out we were dating.


	9. Eight

**Hey Reader, **

**Sorry for taking so long to update. I've been super busy at work :( I'm trying to write and update more so be on the lookout! Don't worry, I promise I will make more time for you all!  
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**-Jennifer11**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Sons of Anarchy or anything that Kurt Sutter created.**

* * *

><p>I fell asleep fast after feeling so emotionally drained. I was sleeping peacefully but soon someone was shaking me awake. Prying my eyes open, I saw my dad above me whispering, "Sweetheart, it's time to get up."<p>

Rubbing my eyes, I whispered, "What time is it?"

"0500." He responded.

"Why?" I groaned, trying to roll over.

"Just come downstairs please?" He pulled back my blanket and pulled me up to a sitting position.

All of the events from last night came flooding back to me. Brett was finally getting what he deserved and my parents were coming around to me being friends with Juice. Adjusting my sweatpants, I shuffled out of the room and down the stairs after my father. I was still rubbing the sleep from my eyes when I reached the foyer.

Brett was standing next to the door wearing the clothes he had on last night with a duffle bag packed next to him. I didn't want to see him ever again but my dad was standing there with his arms crossed and nodded to Brett. The boy looked scared as he spoke, "Uh... Bailey. I just wanted to apologize. I am sincerely sorry for everything I have done to you and I hope that one day you can forgive me."

"Not likely." I mumbled as I glared at him and crossed my arms. "Have a nice life Brett."

"C'mon Bailey..." Brett said as he took a step towards me.

My father started forwards, grabbing Brett by the collar. "You don't want to do that. Let's go, you're not going to miss your flight." He dragged Brett out of the house and shut the door behind him.

"Do you need anything honey?" My mom asked me from the door to the kitchen.

I shook my head but didn't want to go back to bed. I walked to the couch and sat down to think. As I pulled a blanket over myself, I turned on the TV. I didn't know what to do. I was tired but I couldn't sleep. What I really wanted to do was talk to Juice but he was probably sleeping. Knowing MTV was probably playing a marathon of something I changed the TV to it. I was right; it was playing a True Life marathon.

Next thing I know, Ashley is calling my name and waking me up. I must have fallen asleep on the couch. She wouldn't stop poking me until I slapped her hand away, "Ok, ok I'm up!" I giggled.

"Finally. Now why are you down here? I don't snore that loudly." She was sitting next to me in her pajamas.

Brushing my hair away from my face, I sat up and answered, "My dad woke me up at 5am to get Brett to apologize."

"Oh. How'd that go?" She pulled her feet up and under her.

"Awkward but it was fine. So. What do you wanna do today?" I changed the subject.

"Whatever you want to do." She said with a smile.

"You want to see Kip again, huh?"

She nodded excitedly, "He's so nice and fun to be around."

"What about Josh?" I asked her as I stretched.

"What about him?" She replied with a wink.

Giggling, I got up and went upstairs to shower and get ready. By the time both of us were ready, it was noon. Ashley had her hair in a low messy bun and pulled on a tank top, a vest, jeans, and flip-flops. I decided to put a loose side braid in my hair and wear jeans, a green v-neck, and flip-flops.

When we went downstairs, my mom just smiled at us, "Have fun girls!"

I wanted to hang out with Juice but I missed Ashley so much. "Let's go to the mall?" I asked her.

"Heck yah!" She yelled at me as she turned up the music on my stereo. On our way to the Charming Outlet mall, Ashley nudged me and pointed to a small diner, "I'm starving. Let's eat something."

I nodded and pulled my Mustang into the parking lot. We got out and went inside, finding it nearly empty. As we sat down in a booth near the front windows, I noticed a man sitting near the back that looked familiar. The other guy sitting with him had his back to us so I couldn't tell who it was. This man was staring at us and looked angry, he had a scowl on his face that looked permanent.

Ashley and I looked at the menu to try and figure out what to eat. I decided on a club sandwich while Ashley picked a cheeseburger. We ate and laughed, barely taking a breath. I had really missed her and our talks. It's just not the same when we have to Skype or text everything.

We were almost done when the men across the room got up and ambled through the diner. I ignored them until they were right next to our table. Realizing it was Kyle and another man I'd met before, I smiled and said, "Um, hi. How are you?"

Kyle had a smirk on his face, "We're fine. How are you ladies?"

Ashley looked at me and then back at the men, "We're also fine."

The man was staring at us with his piercing blue eyes, "What are you pretty girlies up to today?"

I gulped, "Uh we just thought we'd go shopping or something…" For some reason he was still creeping me out. For the life of me, I couldn't remember his name.

Of course Kyle had something impolite to say, "You're out here without someone watching you? Juice would be very disappointed. You know, you don't belong with him." He put his hands on the table and leaned very close to me. "Why would you want that punk when you could be with someone like me?" Kyle was smiling at me, biting his lip, obviously trying to make me want to be with him. "If you're going to go for a bad boy, you should be with the baddest of them all."

I was speechless. Ashley simply crossed her arms and watched, not sure what to say. Finally deciding I needed to be anywhere but here, I responded, "I don't think I'll take you up on this offer today. If you'll excuse me…" I scooted towards him, only so I could get out of the booth and diner but Kyle blocked me in as he practically sat on me.

"Tig, don't you think that me and Bailey look like the perfect couple?" Kyle asked the older man who was leaning against the booth behind Ashley as he slid his arm behind me.

The man shrugged, as he looked us over. "I think anyone would look good next to a girl like that." He wiggled his eyebrows and winked at me. I gasped, trying to put everything together in my mind. "Come on, you know you are way out of Juicey boy's league."

"Stop it. Bailey can pick her own guys. B, we're leaving." Ashley demanded. She got up and grabbed her purse, pulling out a twenty and dropping it on the table. Tig made the mistake of grabbing her butt because she whirled and slapped him hard. "Don't you touch me."

I use this as a distraction, I pushed Kyle hard and made him fall to the floor. Getting up and reaching for my bag, I grabbed Ashley's arm and pulled her behind me as we bolted out of the diner. Once outside, we jumped in my car and I quickly started it and pulled out of the spot. I wanted to be as far away from those two as possible and seeing them come out of the diner after us was scary.

Just as I left the parking lot in a hurry, I saw several other bikes pull in. The men on them were all wearing SAMCRO cuts but I couldn't make out exactly who they were. The last thing I saw was Juice looking at me at first with excitement then with worry and concern.

Driving as fast as I could, I got Ashley and I to the outlet mall safely. "What the hell?" I muttered under my breath.

"What was those guys' problem?" Ashley whined.

We got out of the car and started to walk past the shops, looking for one to go in. Honestly, none of the boutiques looked inviting. Plus, after what just happened, I didn't feel like trying on any new clothes or buying anything. Ashley seemed the same way, not wanting to do anything but walk and talk for two hours. We kept cycling through the same subject: Juice, Kip, and those two guys at the diner.

"Juice isn't anything like those guys…" I whispered. Juice had texted me but I ignored it, not wanting to talk to anyone but Ashley.

"I hope Kip isn't either." Ashley responded.

"What about Josh?" Before she could shoot back with her normal answer, I cut her off, "Be serious, Ash."

"Seriously? I don't like him. He's fine and all but it's just not… special." She tried to explain.

I nodded, completely understanding. "He's not your prince charming, huh?"

Shaking her head, Ashley chuckled, "You're the one who believes in that. I'm just flying by the seat of my pants. And right now, they're taking me towards Kip. There's something about him that makes me want to know more, to be next to him without any of those pressures that guys normally put on me. He doesn't expect me to do anything for him but smile and talk to him. It's weird."

"He's a good guy. Just like Juice." I smiled, knowing that she finally understood what I was looking for in a boyfriend.

We were silent for a few minutes while I finally responded to Juice's text. He wrote: Hey _Bailey, are you ok? What happened?_ When I didn't reply, he sent a second one: _I'm so sorry. Please text me when you get a chance_.

I thought for a few minutes and then sent him: _I'm fine. Be at my house at 630 for dinner._

Ashley grinned at me and hooked her arm through mine, "Now you've got me being all mushy like you." She teased me before getting serious again, "Since we're not going to buy anything, let's just go back to your house and help make dinner."

Her suggestion sounded like a great idea. We got back in the Mustang and drove home, both of us still thinking about the guys we liked and wondering about the confrontation that happened at the diner. I wanted to make sure Ashley knew I had listened to her so at the next stop light, I texted Juice: _Hey Juice, can you get Kip to come to dinner? Ashley really likes him._

By the time I got home, Juice had texted back: _Yeah of course. Can I bring anything or help?_

He was so sweet to offer, but he was coming so my dad could apologize. _Nope. You don't have to do anything :)_

We went inside to find my mom in the kitchen, reading her recipe book. "Hey girls, how was your afternoon?"

"Fine." I said quickly, shooting Ashley a look so she wouldn't tell my mom about all that happened at the diner. "I told Juan to be here around 6:30, will that work? What are we having?"

"I'm not sure yet but I still have a few hours. Do you have anything in mind?" She kept flipping through the book.

Ashley chimed in, "Mrs. Jones I've been dying to have your chicken and dumplings."

"Chicken and dumplings it is then." My mom announced and shut her cookbook. "I'll just run to the store and grab some ingredients and dessert." She grabbed her purse and keys, leaving Ashley and I at home.

"So what do you want to do now?" I asked Ashley.

"Let's just veg. I'm so tired." She led me to the couch and flipped on the TV.

We sat on the couch until my mom had come home and started to make dinner. When my father came home at 6pm, we were still sitting there watching random shows on E! and MTV. The house began to smell amazing, reminding me that my mother was a great cook.

I could feel butterflies in my stomach and they were starting to get more and more excited. But truthfully, I felt nervous and a little nauseated. Was my father really going to apologize to Juice? What would Juice wear? Would he tell Kip to wear something more conservative?

Mid-freak out, the bell rang. Ashley nudged me and we both jumped up, running to the front door. We took a few deep breaths and adjusted our clothes and hair. Ashley reached for the door just as I noticed my father standing at the bottom of the stairs. He watched as we opened the door and found the two guys were standing there nervously.

Juice was wearing a dark grey button down shirt, jeans, his boots, and a navy hoodie. He hadn't cut his hair yet, still letting it grow over his tattoos. Kip was wearing a green polo, dark jeans, converse sneakers, and a black hoodie. Neither of them were wearing their cuts and from where I was standing I saws they drove Juice's truck instead of their bikes.

I wanted to throw my arms around Juice, especially after what happened at the diner. But I heard my father clear his throat and speak, "Good evening gentlemen. Welcome to our home." He shot them a look while walking into the kitchen to help my mom finish getting dinner ready.

As he left us alone for a few minutes to invite the guys inside and close the door, Ashley gave me a surprised look because I hadn't told her that Kip was coming. Juice shyly took a few steps into the foyer and leaned in to kiss my cheek. Kip barely had time to open his arms because Ashley launched herself into him, giving him a huge hug.

Juice took my hand in his and squeezed lightly as he whispered, "Are you ok? I'm so sorry about Tig and Kyle. They were such assholes to you..."

"It happens..." I started to say, just wanting to drop the subject.

He cut me off, shaking his head and muttering, "Not to my girlfriend, it doesn't." Before I could say anything, Juice pulled a bunch of flowers from behind his back, "Um these are for your mom…" He said quietly. "I didn't know what to bring and Gemma said this would be a good idea…"

I grinned at him, "They're beautiful." I took his hand and led him into the kitchen. "Mom? Look what Juan brought for you…" I still wasn't sure what Juice meant or would do about the situation between Kyle and me but I wasn't about to press him in front of my parents.

My mom turned around and smiled, "Why thank you Juan. That is so sweet of you."

My father got a vase out of a cabinet and filled it with water, placing the flowers in it, and setting the bunch on the counter. He still didn't look at Juice with approval but he seemed a little more open about the idea. After pouring himself a scotch and soda, he took his seat at the head of the table and crossed his arms, just watching the whole kitchen and eyeing Juice and Kip carefully.

Dinner was finally ready so Ashley and I helped carry the dishes to the table. I took my seat next to my dad, Ashley sat next to me, Kip sat across from Ashley, and Juice sat across from me. When everyone was seated, my mother sat and gestured for us to say grace.

We held hands and bowed our heads, waiting for my father to lead us. He finally gathered his thoughts and began, "Lord, I want to thank you for my family, my job, and my freedom. I'd especially like to thank you for helping us see the light during recent events and for bringing us new friends. We are so grateful for the food you provide us with and the opportunities to meet new people from different walks of life. Please Lord, bless our homes and guide us to the path of righteousness. In your name we pray, amen."

After we all said 'Amen', my dad loaded his plate with food before motioning for the boys to fill theirs. Ashley and I went next, putting plenty of chicken and dumplings on our plates and green beans. After the first couple of bites, Juice and Kip's faces lit up, almost like they had never tasted home cooked food before.

I giggled softly with Ashley as we watched them dig in. I was about to make a comment when my father cleared his throat again. It was his signature move to draw attention to himself. "Now boys, I'm not sure if Bailey told you why I invited your for dinner." He paused and swallowed. "I have misjudged you and I would like to apologize. I'm sorry for not being friendly but I am very cautious when it comes to people who hang around my daughter. So if you'll accept my apology, you will be always be welcome in our home." He seemed finished but he muttered under his breath, "Within reason."

"Thank you sir." Was all Juice said back. He was clearly trying to be respectful and not push my dad too far.

Ashley poked me, letting me know that she heard what my father said, which meant that Juice and Kip heard it too. I wanted to roll my eyes but I knew my father would be so angry if I did. Instead, I looked up at Juice, catching his eye. We both smiled as we held each other's gaze and chewed in silence.

It wasn't until Kip coughed and elbowed Juice hard, that I looked up and saw my father glaring. I immediately looked down at my plate and picked at my food. My mom decided to help the situation, "So, Kip? Why don't you tell us a little about you?"

"Yes ma'am." He said before taking a sip of his water. "I go to Charming High School and I've lived in California my whole life." He took a deep breath. "I get pretty good grades and I work with Juan at an auto repair shop. To be honest ma'am, I haven't had the best home life, been living in a cramped apartment or doublewide my whole life. But as soon as I graduate, I plan on joining the army." I snuck a glance at my father, seeing his eyes open a little wider as if he were intrigued.

My father nodded while my mom smiled and said, "My, my, that's impressive and brave of you."

Juice seemed to shift uncomfortably, like he was being upstaged by Kip. I tried to get him to look at me so I could give him a reassuring smile but he wouldn't. It was worrying me, I hoped he wouldn't be mad and want to leave.

Pretty soon dinner was over and my mother pushed back her chair, "Honey? Will you help me clean up from dinner while the kids go sit in the backyard for a while?" She asked my father.

"Oh no, Mrs. Jones, please let me help." Juice insisted. He got up and grabbed several plates, including his, my fathers', and mine.

Kip followed him and took Ashley's, his, and a couple serving dishes. They followed my mother to the kitchen and put the piles next to the sink. Ashley and I put away the leftovers then watched as Kip washed and Juice dried the dishes. When they were finished, Ashley and I put the dishes back in the cabinets.

My mother stood at the counter and watch, astounded that these two boys would be so thorough and helpful. Once we were all finished, she called out, "Would you all like dessert?"

Kip's jaw dropped, "There's more?"

Juice lightly punched his arm but nodded at my mom, "Yes please Mrs. Jones."

Ashley and I couldn't help but giggle as the two boys stood there eagerly wondering what else my mom could have cooked up. She simply went to the oven and opened it, revealing a large pan of brownies. After pulling them out, cutting them, and placing them on a plate in the center of the counter, she looked up. Juice and Kip didn't move a muscle like they were waiting for something.

"Well. Help yourselves, have as many as you want. We have milk and ice cream if you want…" She handed each boy a paper towel before going to the cabinet to get them glasses and milk.

As she turned around, Juice and Kip pounced on the gooey treats. Ashley and I didn't even try to grab a brownie. My mom turned back and placed glasses of milk in front of each of us. Between the two of them, they nearly polished off half the batch. Finally, Ashley snuck two out from under them. I smiled at her as we bit into the most delicious brownies in the world.

Taking two squares with her and the bottle of red wine, she left the room, calling over her shoulder, "Be good." She nodded at me, giving me a reassuring smile. My mom was going to go distract my father and have some alone time with him in the backyard while Juice, Kip, Ashley, and I hung out inside.

As soon as the door shut, Juice's head perked up and he looked around. He was mid chew but still managed to look adorable. Ashley smirked, ran her hand along Kip's arm, and pulled me over to the couch in the family room. We sat a foot apart on my family's long, sectional couch, waiting for the boys to join us as I flipped on the TV.

It didn't take long for Juice and Kip to clean up their brownie mess and hurry over to us. Juice sat down on my left and Kip sat on Ashley's right. "What do you want to watch?" I asked as I flipped channels.

Ashley grabbed the remote out of my hand and found what she wanted. "We're watching this."

I looked up to find she'd landed on Lifetime and we were watching A Walk To Remember. "Come on Ash, what if they don't want to watch this?"

"No, no. It's fine." Kip insisted hesitantly, like he didn't want to disagree with Ashley.

I looked over at Juice and saw he was only looking at me with concern in his eyes. "Bailey? Can I talk to you?"

"Um… sure?" I got up and walked towards the foyer, opening the front door and taking a seat on the love seat, wicker bench that my mom put on the front porch.

Juice had followed me and sat down next to me. I waited for him to start, wondering what he wanted to talk about. "So… uh… I just wanted to talk to you." He looked extremely nervous so I slid my hand into his for comfort. "I know what Kyle and Tig did to you and Ashley today." He blurted out quietly. I didn't say anything as I sat there and looked away from him, staring out onto the street. I pulled my hand from his and crossed my arms, feeling a little vulnerable about the whole situation. Juice sighed and continued, "I just want to apologize and make sure you're doing ok…" Still not answering him, I started to feel uncomfortable. "Please, say something Bailey…"

I didn't know what to say. I pulled my knees up to my chest and pressed my cheek to my forearm, looking in the opposite direction of Juice. "Why did they do it?" I whispered.

I felt Juice's hand on my back. It was warm and gentle but I was conflicted. As much as I wanted to keep dating Juice, his 'friends' haven't been friendly towards me. "They just don't trust outsiders. They'll come around and leave us alone soon." I heard him say firmly as his hand rubbed small circles on my upper back.

Trying to stop myself from getting too emotional, I took several deep breaths. "I'm fine. Just… today was… a little scary."

Juice put his arms around me and pulled me into him, again showing me how strong he was, "Those guys are assholes and I will never let them scare you again. Promise."

As he held me, I tried to collect my thoughts. Being there, in his embrace and feeling how much he cared about me, it calmed me down and made me realize that I couldn't let peoples' thoughts cause me to not go after what I want. It's the same thing that made me date all those losers that hurt me. Wanting to please other people had made me unhappy before, so why be unhappy now.

Taking another deep breath, I finally turned my head. The look on his face was serious and his eyes were only on me. I opened my arms and put myself closer to him, wrapping my arms around his shoulders as he shifted to hold me against him. Burying my head into his chest and the crook in his neck, I sniffled, "I'm glad you're not like them…"

"Me too." He muttered into my hair. He rubbed his hands against my arms as I shivered from the cool night air. We didn't speak for a few minutes, just cuddling and enjoying each other's company. I closed my eyes and forgot about the world while Juice pressed his lips to the top of my head.

Suddenly, I felt Juice stiffen around me then I heard the rumble of a couple motorcycles. His grip on me tightened, as the sound got closer. We didn't move a muscle as the two men on black bikes drove by slowly. They were wearing leather vests with orange coloring. I felt frozen against Juice as he tried to keep me hidden from the street. One of the bikers pointed towards us before they both picked up speed and disappeared.

"Who was that?" I whispered to him, still staring after the two guys.

He didn't answer; he just pulled his phone out of his jeans and sent a quick text to someone while holding me to him. "Let's just get inside." He got up and practically carried me into the house, closing and locking the door behind us.

"What is going on?" I asked him.

"Nothing, just… ugh. Ok look, the club I'm in has a rival and those guys are a part of it. They try to intimidate people that are close to us to rattle our cage." He was trying to be soothing but it felt like he was hiding something still.

"Are you sure? Because this seems…" I could feel my pulse racing.

He took a deep breath, "Everything will be fine, don't worry. Let's just go watch the movie and relax." Juice kissed my cheek and then took my hand, leading me back to the family room. He sat down and pulled me down next to him, putting his arm around my shoulders and leaning back to get comfortable.

Kip was looking over at us, just watching us without saying a word. Ashley had her legs over his and her head on his chest. Kip had put his arms around her, letting her cuddle into him however she wanted. As Juice got me settled next to him I saw them exchanging looks, like they were having a conversation without talking. Who had Juice texted while we were outside?

I tried to focus on one of Ashley's favorite movies but it was tough. My mind kept wandering back to those two men and why they were following me. Was the man outside my house the other night with the rival group? Did this have to do with the boy who attacked me? Not realizing it, I had squirmed closer to Juice. He simply put his other arm around me, holding me caringly to him as I lost myself in my thoughts.

As if on cue, the movie ended and my mother walked into the room. "Alright you all. It's time to call it a night. Remember what my husband said, you are welcome back here whenever you'd like." She smiled, turned off the TV, and went into the kitchen to clean up a little more.

Kip sat him and Ashley up, gently kissing her cheek and then lips as he whispered in her ear. Juice touched my cheek; "You know I like you a lot right?" I nodded as I searched his eyes for something, anything, a hint as to what would happen next. He leaned in and his lips brushed mine, in a sweet, gentle kiss.

I was surprised to find that I wanted more but before we could continue, the back door slammed and I heard stomping footsteps through the house. My father must have come inside and seen us too close together. Sitting up, I saw him leaving the room to go upstairs.

Juice looked disappointed but like he was trying to hide it. He got up and held out his hand for me. After helping me up, we walked towards the door with Kip and Ashley. I didn't want Juice to leave but I knew he couldn't stay the night. We got to the front door and there was a pause, no one wanted to say goodnight.

Kip finally broke the silence, "So you ladies want to hang out with us tomorrow?"

I looked at Juice and saw his hopeful expression. Ashley's face was pleading but I knew she had to fly home tomorrow afternoon. "Sure but Ash has to go home tomorrow…" I answered.

"Can we at least catch breakfast?" Kip was practically begging.

"Yes." Ashley replied quickly.

"Great. We'll see you tomorrow. Have a good night." Kip said, quickly opening the door and grabbing Juice by the shirt, yanking him out of the house and to the truck.

As I wondered why they left in such a rush, Ashley and I turned around to see my father standing at the foot of the stairs watching the whole scene. The way the night ended was a little weird and I was still confused. I didn't want Ashley to go home tomorrow but I realized I wanted Juice to be around 24/7. Why can't I stop thinking about him? I'd never felt this way about a guy and it was a little frightening. Especially since I only just met him.

Ashley and I said goodnight to my parents and went upstairs to watch The Notebook on my laptop before we fell asleep. Curling up next to my best friend, in my favorite most comfortable sweatpants, my thoughts went back to Juice and those two men that drove by. What were they after?

My phone chimed just before I fell asleep, Juice had sent me a text: _Hey Bailey, I'm sorry I didn't get to say goodnight. I hope you sleep well. I'll pick you up at 830 ok?_

A sleepy grin crossed my face as I typed back: _I can't wait :) Goodnight._

My alarm started blaring, making me groan. I rolled over and saw it was 7 am. Why were we waking up this early? Oh yeah, Kip and Juice want us to have breakfast with them. Yawning, I sat up and stretched. Ashley nearly punched me in her sleep, turning over and pulling the blanket over her head.

"Come on Ash, we gotta get ready." I told her as I slid off my bed and stumbled to the bathroom. Taking a shower seemed like such a tedious task but I wanted to look amazing for Juice. I let the water run over me for several long minutes before quickly washing my hair, body, and face. Stepping out of the shower, I left to water running for Ashley as I dried off and wrapped my towel around myself.

Shuffling out of the bathroom, I saw that Ashley was still asleep. I kicked the side of my bed, "Get in the shower." I called out.

She nodded and moaned, rolling out of bed and walking with her eyes half closed towards the sound of the shower. I giggled as I watched her feel her way to the door. After she shut the door, I got dressed, slipping into jeans, sneakers, and one of my Navy shirts. I was drying my hair when Ashley emerged from the shower, grabbing a change of clothes and then going back into the bathroom. When I was putting the finishing touches on my makeup, Ashley came out, wearing jean shorts, an off the shoulder PINK by Victoria's Secret shirt, and her hair was in a loose side French braid to the side.

As she slipped on sandals and put on some makeup, my phone chimed. A huge smile spread across my face as unlocked my phone: _Hey Bailey, just making sure you guys are ready, we'll be there in 15._

"I know that look." Ashley called out, making my head jerk up to meet her eyes.

"What look?" I asked, trying to convey a look that said I didn't know what she was talking about.

"Come on B, I know you. You love him."

"No…!" I tried to protest.

She quickly cut me off, "B! You should go after him, you deserve it and him. He's a good guy and is lucky to have you!"

I rolled my eyes, "Alright fine. Come on, they'll be here any minute." Grabbing her hand, I dragged her down the stairs. We found my parents in the kitchen, having coffee and scones.

My father, of course, called us in, "You girls weren't going to leave without saying bye, right?"

"No sir." Ashley responded as we stopped short in the foyer.

Walking towards us, he set down his coffee. "I want you girls to be careful. You never know what boys or people have in mind. I just don't want either of you to be hurt."

"Ok Mr. Jones. We promise. Plus you can trust us." Ashley said as I nodded.

A soft knock on the door brought my mom out from the kitchen. "That must be them. I'll get that, honey you can go pour us some more coffee." She dismissed my father as she opened the door.

Both Juice and Kip we wearing jeans and button up shirts, looking very presentable but casual. I couldn't stop the smile from spreading across my face. When his eyes met mine, I could see the same feelings reflected on his face. Ashley nudged me and I nearly tripped but managed to catch myself and walk calmly out the front door.

The first couple of steps off the porch, I felt Juice put his hand on my back to guide me towards a hard top four door Jeep Wrangler. Kip held open the front passenger door for Ashley as Juice opened the door for me. I slid all the way across as Juice climbed in after me and Kip ran around to the driver's seat.

"Nice car." Ashley commented.

Kip nodded, "Thanks." He smiled and drove towards the diner.

In the backseat with Juice, I leaned against the door, my body turned towards him so I could study the side of his face. I could just barely make out the tattoos under his hair. As if feeling my eyes on him, Juice turned towards me and leaned against his door to look at me. The smile on his face was cute and charming, I wanted to be in his arms.

I didn't move a muscle until Kip parked the car in front of the diner. I finally tore my eyes away from his handsome features and opened my door and got out of the car. Before I could take more than five steps, Juice was by my side. He grinned and slipped his hand into mine as he led me into the restaurant.

Sitting in the booth we were in yesterday, I was a bit nervous. As soon as Juice put his arm around my shoulders, I breathed a sigh of relief. Nothing would happen with him here.

Ashley and Kip were giggling about something but I was still looking at Juice. "Juice?" I whisper to get his attention, "Are you going to shave your head again?"

He thought about it for a minute, "Do you not want me to?" He ran his fingers lightly through my hair.

"I want you to." I say, realizing he doesn't look himself without his Mohawk.

"I'll do it tonight then." He grinned at me and then lightly kissed my cheek.

The waitress came over and took our order, all of us ordering some variation of eggs and hash browns. We ate the greasy food and got to know each other a little better. Juice and Kip seemed like completely different guys compared to the older men they hang out with. They were almost… innocent. Definitely sweet and caring. The other men in the 'club' they were in were more crude, vulgar, and seemed to always be angry.

Juice nudged me to get my attention. "So uh… would you want a ride to school tomorrow?"

I smiled at him, "I'd love one." I answered softly.

Ashley and Kip had started heavily making out across from us but I was still looking at Juice. He was ignoring them too as he leaned in to kiss me lightly on the cheek. "I want to take us slow. Do this right, ok?" He whispered to me, "I really like you Bailey."

I couldn't have wiped the grin off my face even if I tried. "I'd like that a lot. I like you a lot."

I slipped my hand into his under the table as the waitress came by and dropped off our food. I slowly ate my food while Juice made some funny faces and wolfed his meal down. Kip and Ashley barely touched their food as their lips stayed glued together.

Midway through my eggs, my phone buzzed in my pocket. I pulled out my phone and saw that my father was texting me. Sliding the unlock bar, I read the message: _You guys better get home soon, we have to hit the road for Ashley's flight._

My heart dropped. I wanted to spend more and more time with Juice but I knew Ashley had to go home soon and I'd have to go sit at home. Alone.

Juice must have sensed my mood change because he gently touched my arm, "You ok?" He whispered.

Nodding, I looked up at Ashley as I cleared my throat, "Ahem, Ash? We've got to go soon…"

Kip pulled away from Ashley so she could look at me, her lips were turned down in a frown, "I don't want to go home. I want to stay here with Kippy."

Juice and I exchanged looks and then I saw the grim look on his face, "I'll go get the check…"

Before I could stop him, he slid out of the booth and went to the register to pay the waitress. I couldn't take my eyes off of him as I finished eating and sat awkwardly, while Kip and Ashley started kissing again.

My phone buzzed again so I looked down to see who it was. It was an unknown number. Weird, I never get random messages. I unlocked my phone to read it: _We're coming for you bitch, you won't be safe with Juice forever. If you tell him about this, we won't hesitate to kill him and make you watch._

I shivered as I stared blankly at the screen, not sure what to do. I looked up at Juice and saw him walking back to I quickly deleted the message and put my phone back in my pocket. I tried to shake off what just happened as he sat down next to me. He kicked Kip under the table, trying to get them to stop making out.

Whoever sent me that message, knew I was dating Juice and knew my phone number. They knew how to hit me where it hurt. I gulped as I tried to swallow the lump that was forming in my throat. I couldn't let them get to me. It was probably just a prank, but what if it wasn't?

I felt Juice snake his arm around my shoulders so I tried to hide the fear that crept under my skin. I blinked back my tears and smiled up at him, letting him know I was ready to leave. He stood and helped me from the booth, clearing his throat to get Kip to move.

Kip reluctantly got up and pulled Ashley after him. They clumsily stumbled towards the door and out to Kip's Jeep, leaving Juice to tug me along after them. The drive home was a blur, I couldn't focus on anything but the text message I just read. Juice didn't try to press me to talk, maybe he thought I was sad that my best friend was going home.

As soon as we pulled up to my house, I saw my father standing outside on the porch. He had a stern look on his face that turned somehow even angrier as Juice helped me from the backseat. His arms were crossed as he watched us carefully.

Juice squeezed my hand and kissed my cheek, "Call me when you get back from the airport." He whispered in my ear before gently pushing me towards my house. His grin and eyes said it all, he really cared for me but was holding back to please my father.

I nodded as I walked across the lawn slowly, looking over my shoulder at the guy I was falling for. Ashley kisses Kip one last time and slipped him a piece of paper as she followed me into the house. I waited until I heard the sound of the Jeep leaving to go up to my room to help Ashley pack.

Within an hour, we had managed to get all her things into her suitcase. She looked teary-eyed as she hesitated. "B. I'm gonna miss you so much. I can't believe that we hardly get to see each other. Promise you'll come visit?"

"Of course I will!" I hugged her so tight it was a wonder she could breathe.

A knock at the door and my father clearing his throat, "Hey girls, you ready?"

We were both wiping tears from our faces, as we pulled apart, I giggled, "Yes."

He simply grabbed Ashley's bag and took it down to the car. We followed him slowly and then to the driveway. "You girls go ahead, drive safely." He hardly ever let me drive that far alone. "I've got to get to the base and keep working today, we've got a lot of work left to do."

"Ok Daddy." I said as I hugged him.

Ashley and I got into my Mustang and I eased it onto the street, driving towards the airport. She turned the music up, blaring our favorite songs as we drove up Interstate-5 to Sacramento.

When we got there, we burst into tears and giggles as we hugged in the middle of traffic in the drop off zone. After several people honked at us, we finally parted and she took off to the terminal. She was crying as she waved goodbye and disappeared into a crowd of people.

I slowly clambered back into the driver's seat, slowly heading back to Charming. I managed to hold back my emotions as I focused on the road. I just pulled off of I-5 and onto the highway back to Charming when a light on my car started blinking. The Mustang started to slow down by itself and I barely managed to pull off to the shoulder.

After popping the hood, I figured it was simply overheated as smoke started pouring out from engine. Frowning, I remembered that Juice worked at a garage so I decided to call him to see if he could help or tow me into town.

I leaned against the driver's side door as I dialed, muttering to myself, "Come on Juice please answer…" My eyes shifted around nervously as I noticed how out in the middle of nowhere I was.

After a couple of rings he picked up, "Hey Bailey… Are… back…"

The static on the connection was so bad I couldn't hear anything he said, "Juice? I need your help, my car broke down on Highway 16. Can you possibly come out?" I asked, hoping he wouldn't say no.

"Bailey… Can't… Where…" His speech was garbled and I was about to speak again when I heard the three beeping tones of the call failing. I held my phone in front of me as I saw I had no service.

I looked around, trying to figure out what I could do. "I guess I could try to walk…" I said to myself. I sighed, remembering that I saw an older gas station about a mile back so I grabbed my purse and keys, walking in the direction I came from.

"Thank goodness I wore my sneakers and not some uncomfortable shoes." I muttered as I kicked a couple of rocks.

About a quarter of a mile, I heard a rumble of a motorcycle. I turned, hoping to see Juice but instead I saw someone else. I raised my arm to flag them down, hoping they'd know something about cars to help me. The man slowed and stopped, swinging his leg over to walk towards me.

"You ok chica?" He asked as he walked towards me.

"I'm fine… my car just broke down and I don't have any cell service." I held up my hand to shield the sun as I looked him up and down.

"Well ain't that awful." He drawled with a Spanish accent, his hands straightening his black and orange vest.

Before I could react or turn and run, the man reached out and grabbed my hair, pulling me to the ground before slapping me hard. I cried out in pain as he managed to push me into the dirt. Screaming, I struggled against him, trying to get free from him and flee.

I knew it was futile, even if I managed to knock him off of me, I'd still be out in the middle of nowhere with him. Even with those odds, I kept fighting, desperate to get away from him. He slapped me again, "Stop it puta." He spat out as his hands roamed my body, trying to subdue me.

My ears perked up as I heard another car driving towards us. I screamed again, trying to get their attention as I flailed under the man. They van stopped but I quickly realized they weren't here to help. Another man jumped out and pounced, holding me down as the man zip tied my hands. The two men hauled me up while a third man shoved a black bag over my head before they tossed me into the van.

I kicked and tried to scramble away but they jabbed a needle into my hip. Wincing and crying out in more pain as they held me down and forced drugs on me, I realized there was nothing else I could do. The blackness started to creep over me as I struggled to stay conscious.

"Don't worry pinche puta, we won't hurt you, much." A man whispered into my ear.


	10. Juice's Side Part 1

**Hey Reader,**

**THANK YOU! For all of your reviews and alerts! Sorry I left such an intriguing cliff hanger, I know you've all been asking for more and I promise I will be trying to write and update as fast as I can. **

**This chapter will unfortunately be about what Juice has been thinking since the beginning. Don't worry. I promise to continue with the rest of the story ASAP!**

**Enjoy! – Jennifer11**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Sons of Anarchy or anything that Kurt Sutter created.**

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><p><span>Juice's POV<span>

This whole summer has felt like something was missing. I've always had a great time with the club and learning from the guys but over the summer something was off. Jax and Opie hung out with their girls whenever they were free so I was stuck to hang with Kip or Kyle. Not exactly what I'd call good company.

Today was the first day of school and the boys were feeling a bit anxious. They couldn't wait to get back to the garage and clubhouse. I was just fine going to class. After all, it was something I was very good at. When the others got lazy, they'd ask me to help them with their assignments. I didn't mind too much, they did some of my chores around the garage for me while I did their work. Right now, though, they were horsing around the parking lot and trying to come up with a good excuse to get out of classes for the day.

As soon as I saw a gorgeous girl nervously get out of her car, I knew I had to know her. It wasn't just a sexual attraction. There was something about her that drew me in, made me want to talk to her. I just had to figure out how to get her to talk to me. I looked for her all day but never saw her again. Luck happened to be on my side because right before the last period, she ran into me. I felt my gut tighten as she fell backward, landing on the ground roughly, and I hoped she wouldn't be hurt. Moving quickly, I helped her up and grabbed at the things she dropped. Glancing over her schedule, I learned the mystery girl's name. Bailey. And her next class was my next class.

She wasn't hurt, in fact she looked lost but very adorable, I somehow managed to convince her to follow me to class. Of course we get to class and Mr. Williams was cranky as ever. When we took our seats, I couldn't take my eyes off of her. I kept looking at her and watching her. She must have felt my gaze because when our teacher turned around she flipped her long brown hair and shot me a look. I didn't know what to respond so I scrunched up my face, trying to make her smile.

Her hand flew to her mouth as she let out a soft giggle. It was the most beautiful thing I've ever heard. Unfortunately, Mr. Williams heard it too. He sent us to support room but all I could think was I could get more time to be next to her. As we left the room, I found myself dying to wipe the frown from her lips. She was ignoring me, typing on her iPhone, which made me jealous. Who was she talking to? And why wasn't she talking to me?

When I tried to apologize, she crossed her arms, a clear sign that she didn't want to talk to me. I even tried to reassure her that it wasn't exactly my fault but she wasn't having it. Normally I could try to charm my way through any conversation with a girl but Bailey was different. There was something about her, something bold yet alluring. I wanted to try my best to earn her trust and befriend her.

As soon as she mentioned her dad, I stiffened. If she's that worried, he must be very strict. She looked impatient and concerned, which made me want to comfort her. I barely just met this girl and she's under my skin. The guys were going to have a field day if they found out. Once we got to Support Room, I decided to give her some space, seeking my seat at the back of the room while she sat in the front. Her head was bent down, clearly texting someone important to her. She didn't move as the door opened and three Mayans walked in.

Instantly, I wanted to protect her. There was something inside of me that roared into life when they sat around her. I couldn't just jump in there and start a turf war with the Mayans. But they were messing with something that was mine. Mine? I thought to myself as I watched the boys carefully. Possessiveness surged through my veins along with the need to be overprotective of Bailey.

One of them reached out and touched her; I knew couldn't sit off to the side any more. Before I knew it, I was across the room, arms crossed. I had to remove Bailey from the situation before I could act. Luckily, Jax and Opie came in while Bailey moved to the back row of desks. After diffusing the tension, all three of us went towards Bailey. She seemed uneasy and vulnerable. I wanted to wrap my arms around her and kiss away the pain I saw in her eyes.

I felt so nervous as she sat down, not saying a word. Jax and Opie shot me a look, wondering why she was so timid. I nodded at them to sit around her, maybe help her feel a little safer. She slowly opened up to me, showing me that the whole thing that took place didn't shake her up to badly. When we shook hands, I didn't want to let go but she didn't look comfortable holding mine. If only I could get her to speak my name, I was desperate to hear it on her lips.

The bell rang and Bailey nearly bolted from the room. I frowned, disappointed but looking down, I saw her iPhone on the floor next to where she was just sitting. Before Jax and Opie could say anything else, I grabbed it and chased after her. I slowed as she did, not wanting to freak her out. Bailey turned around as she patted her pockets and searched through her bag. She walked back towards me so I got the chance to stop her and give her the phone. A very small, shy smile slid across her face as she took it and then took off to her car.

I wanted to go with her. To watch over her and make sure she made it home safely. Just before I could go to my bike and follow her, Kip came up next to me and distracted me, "Hey man, how was your first day?"

I turned and smiled, "Good, just like everyday at Charming High." I joked back and forth with him. When I turned around, I frowned when I say that Bailey was gone. There's always tomorrow, right?

Being at work since I met Bailey, was dull. Food tasted bland, conversations were boring, jokes weren't funny, things seemed to blur past me. All I knew was that I couldn't wait to see her again. I just hoped that none of the guys figured out what was going on with me. I wasn't ready to share my feelings or Bailey.

Over the next couple of days, I tried to figure out where she was during the day. Of course I knew where her classes were but I could never find her in between them. I kept trying to figure out how to strike up conversation with her but each time I tried, I was speechless. Tongue-tied around the one girl I really wanted to talk to.

Jax nudged me at lunch on Friday, "Hey, my mom says we can come to the party tonight. You better be there."

I nodded and grinned, "I wouldn't miss it for the world." And I knew exactly what would make the party better.

As soon as I got to US History and saw her, I kept trying to find a way to ask her. Finally working up my courage, I whispered to her. Only to have her nearly brush me off. The rejection would have broken my spirit but I knew I wouldn't stop trying to ask her or be next to her.

Mr. Williams called out the fact that Bailey wasn't paying attention. Her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. That same nagging need to rescue her rushed over me. I spoke up which only got us both sent to detention again. Once out of the room, Bailey seemed exasperated but when I told her that she was only in trouble because of me, she latched onto it and asked me several questions about SAMCRO. I hid my frown, not wanting to let her into my world or have her any where near the dark and twisted tasks and men. She was too… innocent. I answered her simply, with vague answers.

Leading her into the room, I didn't want her to sit alone again; I was so hopeful that she'd want to sit next to me. When she took the seat to my right, I smiled to myself. Even if she didn't know why she did it, it was a silent gesture that told me she trusted me and felt safe near me. It was a small victory but I'll take anything at this point.

We didn't speak as we sat. Bailey was doing homework or something while I leaned back and watched her and the room. When two of the Mayans walked in, I straightened up. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Bailey tense up. I was grateful that nothing happened, knowing that if they started something, I wouldn't be able to protect and defend Bailey and myself at the same time.

I blew out the breath I didn't know I was holding when the bell finally rang. The two Mayans left and I slipped Bailey a small piece of paper with my phone number and Jax's address. I flashed her a sincere grin, hoping she'll come tonight. Even though I wanted to stay with Bailey, I had to find Jax and tell him about the Mayans eyeing me because I knew something was brewing between us.

I reached the parking lot quickly and found Jax, Opie, Kyle, and Kip. "Guys. We've got a problem. The Mayans are getting ready to start something with us. I can tell."

Jax nodded, "You're right, they do seem edgy. We should talk to Clay, it could have something to do with the higher ups."

We all agreed before the conversation turned to the party tonight. I followed along until I caught myself looking for Bailey. I still hadn't seen her go to her car or seen the Mayans come out to their bikes. Thinking harder about it, I realized that the Mayans were standing awfully close to Support Room when I left Bailey alone. Shit. I left her alone.

"Guys. We have another problem… I think they're planning something on that new girl. They were in Support Room with us and now… I don't see either of them…"

Opie, always a sucker for a female in trouble, jumped off his bike. "We've got to go find her!"

Jax and Kip took off with me and Opie. "Kyle, stay here and watch for Tara and Donna." Jax called over his shoulder.

I led the way back to the classroom I just left, my nerves sizzling as I thought about what could possibly be happening to her and if she was scared. Please God, don't let her be hurt. I prayed as I ran.

Kip threw open the door and we all barreled in. My eyes widened as I saw her struggling underneath one of the Mayans, Hector. My temper flared as I ran forward and knocked him away from her, pulling him up and throwing him into several desks. I was about to go pound him into the ground when Opie held me back. Jax and Kip grabbed Hector and were dragging him outside.

"You stay here and make sure she's ok. She'll trust you more than any of us." Opie whispered, "I'll be right outside."

After Opie left, I hesitated. Should I approach her? I wondered as I slowly crept to her huddled in the corner. I crouched down and my hand reached out to touch her, though I was dying to have her pressed against me, letting me comfort her and take away her pain and fear. As soon as my fingers brushed her skin, she flinched, making my chest ache.

Bailey picked her head up and looked at me through her tears. I watched as her eyes flicked wildly around the room. Her panic emanated from her and I would give just about anything to soothe her. She looked so damn vulnerable and wounded, I couldn't help but wonder if this had happened to her before. I eased myself around her and held her, trying to protect her from the world and keep her from falling to pieces. When Bailey started crying again, I felt my world shatter. I whispered nonsense into her ear as I let her cry against me.

After her tears stopped, I helped her up and guided her without touching her to her car. My eyes washed over her, wishing I could make that red mark disappear and fix her shirt. I was at a loss, I had no clue what to do to help her. She looked around herself as we walked, her eyes were skittish and she was shaking like a leaf.

I managed to talk her into her car, worried that she wouldn't be able to get past this. She was too fragile, too angelic, to be hurt like this. It was killing me inside. I had to make this right for her. Opie nodded at me from our bikes, signaling to me that Hector was taken care off, Jax and Kip had beat him to send a message to the other Mayans.

After Bailey started her car and slowly drove away from school, Opie and I jumped on our bikes to follow her. I had to make sure she was safe on her way home, that she made it home. Once she made it there, I blew out a sigh of relief. Her mother came running out to her, probably worried that she was home so late, but it eased my fears that she was home and with some one who could take care of her.

Opie and I drove off, back to school to put the finishing touches on Hector. I could feel the anger clouding my mind as I thought about the image of the Mayan on top of Bailey. As soon as we got back to the school parking lot, only Jax, Kip, and Kyle were there, they led us to the alley nearby where Hector was laying.

I rushed to him and grabbing him off the dirt, "You son of a bitch!" I gritted out as I slammed my fist into his jaw. "Why would you do that!" I huffed as punched him again.

Opie and Kyle hauled me back as Jax shook his head, "Juice, we haven't seen you this worked up… ever."

The four of us looked down at the bleeding Mayan, spitting in his direction before turning and leaving him there to find his own way home. We hadn't broken any bones but his face was cut up and blood was running down to his shirt.

Jax pulled out his ringing cell phone, "Yeah? Got it." He said briefly before shutting it. "We got church."

All of us made our way to Teller-Morrow but I was dreading it. I wanted to go check on Bailey. Even though I knew it would freak her out that I would show up. I wasn't even sure if she saw me drive by. While sitting at the redwood table, surrounded by all of SAMCRO, I couldn't stop thinking about her. Opie nudged me to get me to pay attention but I could barely look up and listen.

"Juice!" Clay yelled, making my head snap up. "Something troubling you, son?" I shook my head but couldn't wipe the fierce look off my face. "I need you to find out why Unser is calling me asking me if one of you four morons attacked a girl at school."

I gripped the table as I realized Bailey's parents took her to the police station. "Uh…." I started.

Jax cleared his throat, "A Mayan did it. We stopped it. We think they're planning something."

Clay nodded but Tig spoke up as he scratched his chin, "I wouldn't put it past 'em. Those shit eating Mayans, always stirring up trouble."

Bobby narrowed his eyes towards me, "Talk to me after." He mumbled to me.

"If that's all, we'll keep an eye on it. Alright, let's go party." Clay said as he let the gavel thud against the thick table.

The rest of the guys left while Bobby and I hung back, "What's up?" I asked him.

He looked me over and got a little closer, "What's this girl to you? She's important to you, right?"

My mouth fell open and then I shut it, not sure what to say. "I don't know… I just feel…"

"If you feel so strongly about her, you better get close to her and quick. We can't let an innocent girl get hurt in our war. I can see it in your eyes, she means a lot to you."

I nodded, "I'm trying Bobby but I only just met her and now this?"

"With women, you've got to be patient. Especially young ones who've been caught in the middle of this world." His hand clasped my shoulder before leaving me to my thoughts.

I couldn't get the image of Bailey crying, scared and hurting out of my head. All of a sudden I couldn't breathe. I needed air. I hurried out to my bike and took off, taking to extremely long way to Jax's house. The scenic view was beautiful and let me get enough cool air into my lungs to try to clear my head. One thing was for sure, I had to get to know Bailey.

When I got to Jax's house, I grabbed a beer and went straight to my room. Logging onto my laptop, I began searching, looking for anything to help me. I finally managed to hack into the school's system and came up with Bailey's cell phone number. Pulling out mine, I sat there, sipping at my beer as I tried to think of what to say to her. I wanted to reassure her that I was there for her, if she needed me.

I finally decided on: _Hey Bailey, I just wanted to make sure you were doing alright. Let me know if you need anything. –Juice._

I chugged the rest of my beer as I waited for her to response. If she'd respond. Doubt and worry crept into my once confident mindset. I got up and laid down on my bed, hoping she would choose to trust me. I was about to lose my mind when I received her text: _Juice, I'm doing fine, thank you for everything._

I couldn't wipe the smile from my face if I had tried but I didn't want to send anything back and push her too far too fast. I fell asleep thinking about her and wanting to know what she was thinking.

I spent all of Saturday wondering about her and if I should call her. I went through the motions at work, absentmindedly fiddling with the cars and motorcycles in front of me. Most of the guys left me alone, knowing that I was normally quite anyways that how I was acting now wasn't much different.

Sunday rolled around and I decided midafternoon to text her again. _Hey Bailey, you still doing ok? –Juice._

I waited and waited until she sent one back: _I'm fine, I guess, how are you?_ I chuckled as I read the message. Was she really asking about me when she was the one hurting? I shook my head. This girl was something else and I was a goner.

_I'm great but how are you REALLY doing?_ I knew enough about women to know that they lied damn near every time they claimed they were 'fine'. Which made it impossible to know how they were feeling. They were always trying to save us men from their feelings and make the situation not about them.

I waited anxiously for her reply: _Worried, nervous, scared? I don't know…_

My heart felt like it was going to explode from the hurt I was feeling for her. I would give anything to make her feel secure at this one moment. _I'm so sorry that this happened to you. If you ever need help, just text or call me. Are you going to school tomorrow?_ I prayed that she'd say yes. I couldn't stand not seeing her for another day.

_I don't know. Maybe._ Was the text I got back. I could just see her curled up, hugging her knees to her chest as she cried over the pain of the boy on top of her. I wanted to be there, hold her in my arms, and put her at ease.

_I hope so._ I sent back, meaning every word I wrote. I had to see her. I had to know she was ok.

The rest of the day was spent cleaning Jax's house. Gemma let's me stay there all I want, it's the least I could do. Plus I'm pretty sure she wants me to stay just so she won't have to pay someone else to clean.

While I was busy in the kitchen, Gemma came home, "Hey Juicey, how are you?" I looked up at her and my eyes must have been pained because she looked at me concerned, "What's wrong, baby?"

I shrugged, "I'm just…" I couldn't bring myself to talk about my feelings.

"Your girl giving you trouble? Don't worry, Bobby clued me in a little bit when you disappeared Friday and spent yesterday in a fog."

I bite my lip, "I just don't know what to do. Just looking at her… I feel like she's the missing piece…" I said quietly, not sure how to voice my emotions.

"Don't worry, you're not the first one to fall head over heels." She took my hand and squeezed, "Just take things slow. This girl, I've heard she's different than those crow eaters. Be gentle, kind, and trustworthy. There's no girl who can resist you if you be respectful of her."

I nodded and smiled, "Thanks Gemma."

The next morning, I drove by Bailey's house, hoping to follow her to school. Just as I got close to her block, I saw her pull away from the curb. I kept my distance but made sure she made it to school. When I got there, I saw Jax, Opie, Tara, and Donna. Tara was grinning at me but Donna looked sour-faced like usual.

Tara hugged me, "So she's that important to you?" She whispered in my ear. I simply nodded, not sure what to say. "Don't worry, I'll help the both of you."

I was flabbergasted but the sparkle in Opie, Jax, and Tara's' eyes told me they were willing to help me even though I never told them how I was feeling. They could see it and wanted to help Bailey too. The plan was hatched that Tara would get Bailey to eat lunch with us. I was beyond excited.

I fidgeted through each class, barely able to wait to lunch period. Jax and Opie wanted to see me before we met up with the girls but then they said we'd spend the rest of the time with them.

Jax, Opie, Kip, and Kyle were waiting for me outside the cafeteria. They took me behind the building to talk privately. Jax spoke for the group, "We just want to make sure that Bailey is as important to you as Tara and Donna are to us."

I nodded slowly, worried they were changing their minds about helping, "If something hurt her because of me, I couldn't live with myself."

Opie cleared his throat, "If she begged you to leave SAMCRO, would you?"

"That's not fair." I began, "Plus we don't know if she would do such a thing."

Kyle glared at me, "You know that the club comes first. Not chicks. Plus if any of the others found out what you're doing, you'd be out on your ass anways."

Jax nodded to Kip, who immediately grabbed Kyle and pulled him away, probably to the parking lot. "We know what you mean. That's how Ope and I feel. Kyle and Kip wouldn't know love if it bit them in their asses."

"Love?" I croaked out.

They both nodded before Jax grinned, "C'mon, let's go find our girls."

Opie slung his arm around me, jabbing me in the gut as we walked into the cafeteria to the table where Tara and Donna usually sat. All of a sudden, I felt shy. I slide into the seat next to Bailey. She looked about as nervous as I felt. I had this need to cheer her up. I needed to see her smile.

I tried to talk to here but she didn't seem to know how to answer me. I offered her some cookies that I had baked myself last night. She hesitantly took one but flashed me the most beautiful smile I've ever received. I couldn't help but smile back. Her cheeks turned red, making me turn to see everyone at the table watching us. I shot them a back off look, knowing I had barely succeeded to get her to loosen up a bit.

Lunch ended too quickly and history took too long to arrive. I waited for Bailey outside of our classroom. Her whole face lit up when she saw me. It brightened the whole world around her. I couldn't take my eyes off of her. During class, I kept sneaking peeks to make sure she was paying attention.

When the bell rang and she stood to leave, I couldn't bare the thought of her leaving. I reached out and caught her arm before I knew what I was doing. The violent shudder that passed through her, tore at my insides. I immediately retreated, putting space between us. I couldn't apologize enough for what I just did.

She flushed and actually moved towards me, wanting to hear more. I promptly invited her to the afternoon BBQ that Gemma was throwing for the men of SAMCRO. She bit her lip which I found extremely endearing. When she smiled and accepted, I wanted to hug her so badly. But I held back, worried I'd scare her off.

We slowly walked to the parking lot together until we found the rest of my friends. When I walked up, Opie walked towards me and wrestled me into a headlock. I laughed and struggled but Jax joined in, making it tough for me to get free. We continued horsing around for a bit, letting off our pent up energy from sitting still all day.

After a few more minutes, we rolled to the ground before Tara came over and griped at us for ignoring them and making ourselves dirty. We reluctantly got up and brushed off our clothes. Looking at Bailey's face, she seemed off put by something and Donna had that usual conniving look in her eye. The desire to protect Bailey was raise in my throat but what could I say?

Bailey's eyes looked at me and then at the row of motorcycles next to us. She looked… afraid to be near them. I knew she wasn't ready for that. She'd need time and to be eased into it. I suggested that she follow me there and relief flooded her face. As she followed all of us to Jax's house, I looked back to make sure she wasn't lost or scared. Even though she drove slowly and bit her lip, she fearlessly followed.

As soon as we cut off our engines in front of the house, Bailey's eyes went wide as she saw all the motorcycles lined up. The whole club was inside, waiting. I just hoped they wouldn't devour her. I wanted to hold her hand but I was worried she wouldn't return the gesture. I stayed close to her as Jax, Opie, Donna, Kyle, and Kip took off through the house. The rest of the men were staring at Bailey like she was a piece of meat.

I was tense. I wanted to wrap myself around her and claim her as mine. Gemma burst into the room in a whirlwind, making all of them stand and leave before introducing herself. Bailey and I stood alone by the front door and I wanted to say so many things but couldn't find the right words. When she told me she wanted to give the party a try, I couldn't stop my excitement from bubbling over.

My hand hovered over her lower back as I guided her to the back yard. I didn't touch her but I helped lead her in the right direction. I wanted care to her and make sure she had everything she wanted and felt comfortable. The guys were going to call me a pussy but I didn't care. Bailey was more important to me right now.

When she barely touched her food and was looking over her shoulder towards the guys, Tara and I noticed. I moved a little closer, wanting to be closer to her. I need to make her laugh, do something to make her relaxed, "Don't worry about those guys, they're just jealous I get to it next to the new girl."

She finally giggled and opened up, eating and talking with our small group while the adults had their own quiet discussions. When Jax, Tara, Donna, and Opie got up to do their own thing, Kip had collected our trash. I wasn't about to let Bailey out of my sight. But I wanted to know what was running through her head. I finally decided to take the shot.

"Um… so… what are you thinking?" I asked her nervously.

She blushed and looked down at the table as if she was trying to be careful with her answer. "How great the food was, how cool your friends seem to be, I don't know… I'm having a lot of fun." She finished her last sentence softly.

I could feel a weigh being lifted from my shoulders and chest. "Me too. Are you glad you came?" I asked, searching her eyes for her true feelings.

She smiled, "Very." She seemed unsure of herself. "Are you glad I came?"

I answered her quickly, not wanting to give her any reason to not believe me, "Extremely."

She went on to ask me how I got her phone number. Why is that so important? She could have asked me anything about myself. I immediately started rambling, realizing how selfish of me it was to take her phone number instead of asking her to give it willingly to me. Suddenly, I felt like a huge ass and couldn't bring myself to look into her eyes.

While looking down at my hands, wondering how big of a jerk I could be, I felt her soft hand slip over mine as she whispered, "I'm happy you did."

My eyes flew up to hers, electricity sparked between us. She started to pull back but I couldn't let her. I gently tugged her hand back into mine and held it. It was the best feeling in the world. Before I could make another move, Gemma came over and interrupted. I stifled my groan, as she looked us over, making Bailey stiffen.

We didn't even have time to get back into the mood we were in before Gemma broke us apart. Bailey's phone rang out and she pushed away from me, taking several steps as she answered it. Jealousy hit me hard, making me feel ridiculous for even thinking it. Bailey is a good girl, she wouldn't be secretive like the thoughts in your head.

My ears perked up as I tried to discreetly eavesdrop to her conversation. I realized it was her father and I'd kept her far too long. Her parents must be worried about her. One thing is for certain, I want to take her on a real date. I want to do this the right way. Win her over, win her parents over… and not just to get her into bed. I just have to know her on a deeper level.

As Bailey turned around uncertain about what she would do next and then started apologizing, I stopped her, knowing that I had to get her home. It killed me to see her go. I couldn't even think about not being near here. I knew I couldn't let her go without saying something.

I slipped my hand into hers and gave a small tug to stop her, "Um. Would you want to hang out again?"

She actually lit up and smiled, a pure, genuine grin. "I'd like that. A lot." She hugged me and it warmed me straight through to my soul. I held her against me, not wanting it to end. When she pulled away, it felt like she was tugging my heart with her. I didn't want her to get lost or be unsafe on her way home so I let her follow me. I waved and smiled as I left her at her home, safely in front of her house.

I couldn't wait until I saw her again. I had to see her again. It was like my life depended on her from now on. Since I've met her, my world had been turned upside down. It was dizzying and scary but exciting and I couldn't wait to see where this goes next.


	11. Juice's Side Part 2

**Hey Reader!**

**Don't worry, I will get back to the actual story and relieve you of the cliffhanger soon. I've got to finish up the rest of Juice's side of the story so far. **

– **Jennifer11**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Sons of Anarchy or anything that Kurt Sutter created.**

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><p>The next week flew by. I made sure to meet her for lunch, talk to her, listen to several stories about her best friend Ashley and her parents, and generally get to know more about her. I didn't even try to touch her in any way so she didn't think I was just trying to get into her pants. I waited for her outside of our class and then walked with her from class everyday to the parking lot, trying to keep the conversation flowing so she wouldn't leave. When she'd finally excuse herself to go home, I could tell she was holding back a little bit, like I made her nervous, like she didn't want to lay all of her cards on the table.<p>

I knew that my friends and the other guys would call me a pussy if they found out I wasn't trying to sleep with her. Obviously that would be nice but I couldn't hurt her like that. I had to make this right. That's why when I saw her Friday morning; I felt pangs of guilt in my gut. I should take her on a real date. Tonight.

The day passed by much too quickly, I was anxious and worried she'd turn me down. I kept trying to work up the courage and find my confidence to actually ask her. Once we got to US History, Bailey seemed a little upset and I couldn't ask her. Mr. Williams looked like he was about to go on a rampage and I didn't want to be the subject of his wrath any more. Not when I had Bailey in my life.

As soon as I saw Bailey slide her phone from her pocket, I knew something bad was going to happen. I checked Mr. Williams and saw his back was turned. I just nudged her arm and was about to try to warn her when he whipped around, "Ms. Jones."

My throat tightened as dread filled my thoughts. I couldn't sit here was watch her get massacred by our jerk of a teacher. Before I could try to distract him, she answered his question correctly. She was actually going to fight him back as he tried to catch her for not paying attention. The next question was nowhere near anything we were studying. Somehow she knew the answer to it. Mr. Williams was getting more and more angry, he thought for a moment before asking a question that he thought no student would know.

I watched as Bailey gulped and then responded with the correct answer. I was so proud of her for not only knowing, but for telling our teacher off. I wanted to get up and dance around the room. Of course Mr. Williams thought otherwise. His nostrils flared as he scribbled onto the Support Room pad to send her out of class. I couldn't let her go alone. Not after what happened the last two times she went.

I stood and sacrificed myself, to make sure that she wouldn't go alone. While we walked out of the room and to Support Room, I saw Bailey texting again. It still caused me to feel jealous but I figured she was talking to Ashley. Before she could take any more steps, I caught her hand. I had to know how she knew those answers. I learned a little more about her as I found out she told me about her passion for history.

I told her how sorry I was for getting her into more and more trouble lately. She only responded with a smile and started flirting with me. The light-hearted manner of our rapport was so sweet, I wanted to bottle it up and keep it forever. My hand squeezed hers and I wanted to kiss her lips but instead, she leaned forward and kissed my cheek. I was speechless. Utterly taken aback that I couldn't make a move other than to smile until she tugged at my hand and we walked towards Support Room.

Her phone buzzed in her hand and she let out a soft giggle, holding up her phone and taking a picture of me and her, both of us with smiles on our faces. "Was that for Ashley?" I asked, hoping she'd say it was for her too. I took her backpack and slowly slid my arm around her, wishing this moment would last longer.

"Yep. She was asking me about you…" She said, a shy smile on her lips.

I had to know what she told her best friend. What a girl tells her girlfriends is the truth, could make or break a guy in the eyes of the girl he likes. When she told me that she told Ashley we were just friends, it nearly broke me. I had to make her mine officially. I knew that now was the time to ask her out. My breath caught in my throat as I waited for her to answer.

Her lip was wedged between her teeth as she nibbled, thinking it over. My whole world hung in the balance. She finally smiled and agreed. And when she said yes to go out tonight, I nearly picked her up and swung her around. I was so excited and then so damn nervous.

When the bell rung, I simply turned us and led her to the parking lot. I couldn't wait to tell Jax and Opie about it. Keeping my arm tight around her shoulders, I could feel her blush coming from a mile away as the group cheered at us for walking so close together. As I set down her bag on the seat of my bike, Opie grabbed me into a headlock and pulled me a few feet away from the girls.

"Where are you planning on taking her tonight? Do you need back up?" Jax chuckled quietly as Opie slowly let me up.

"Uh I was planning on taking her to Luigi's then to a movie?" It was humiliating to talk to my guys about this.

"Good choice." Jax nodded.

"Hey… what if you have to meet her parents?" Opie said, "When I took Donna out the first time, her dad was horrible to me…"

Jax elbowed him, "You're gonna make him more nervous." He turned to me, "Look, you've got to dress nice. Bailey isn't one of those girls you throw on the back of your bike. She's…"

"I know." I cut him off. "I'm gonna take my mom's truck and all the nice clothes I've got hanging in the closet. Not only that but I'm going to hide my tats. Her parents are straight edge…"

I couldn't even finish my sentence when we realized Donna was frantically waving us over. Looking around, I saw the Mayans walking past the girls and Bailey looking ready to crawl under a rock. Immediately, I was next to her and put my arm around her again to comfort her. Jax and Opie made a wall in front of the girls and me to get them to back down.

Under normal circumstances, I would have loved having Bailey hugging me but she was scared out of her mind. I had to get her home so she could relax. Walking her to her car, I tried to come up with the right words to say. She seemed to slowly be returning to normal as she got into her car and left.

I went back to the guys and talk about why the Mayans were giving Bailey so much shit. Jax and Opie both looked furious but concerned, like they were thinking that Bailey would end up hurting their girls. I frowned but tried to keep my thoughts at bay.

"Do you think we should ask Clay?" I said quickly.

I only received headshakes and a chorus of 'No's. Jax stared me straight in the eye, "If we bring this to Clay, now, he'll chop our dicks off. The fundraiser is tomorrow. In fact, my mom will do it for him. It'll have to wait until later. Until then we'll just have to make sure Bailey is safe and the Mayans don't make a move. Kip is going to shadow you tonight."

My jaw dropped in protest, "He'll ruin the date…"

"I'll make sure he doesn't. You know he's the sneakiest bastard we know." Jax insisted.

I couldn't say no. It was a good idea. I was just worried what would happen if Bailey saw him. "Fine. But if she spots him…"

"I'll kick his ass myself. Now let's get to work." Jax assured me.

Tara and Donna kissed Jax and Opie before heading off to Donna's house to do what ever girly things they normally do while we climbed onto our bikes and headed to Teller-Morrow. I spent the rest of the afternoon trying to focus on the chores the guys made me do. It wasn't until 5:45 that I realized I had to go get ready. The panic was starting to make my fingers jittery.

Bobby stopped me before I could leave, "Hey Juicey. How's it going?"

"Fine." I answered shortly.

"Your girl ok?"

"For now. I'm going to pick her up for a date in about an hour…" I said, my hands rubbing each other as I tried to ignore the nerves creeping through me.

"Good luck." Was all he said.

I started my bike and drove straight to my house. This was the first time since school started that I had actually been back to my 'home'. And of course my mom was passed out on the couch. I shuffled in quietly and gently made sure her pulse was strong. Good, she didn't OD today. I made sure she was sound asleep as I picked my way through the mess to my room.

After I showered and freshened up, I looked myself over in the mirror with my towel wrapped around my waist. Her parents won't approve of me. I thought as I ran my hand over my Mohawk. My eyes raked through my closet, trying to put together a good outfit to impress. I pulled out slacks, a freshly ironed button up, a clean black hoodie, and my polished shoes. This should be good but what about my head? I was about to freak out when I spotted the Yankees hat on the top shelf. Our neighbor had given it to me when we had left Queens. That had been years ago but hopefully it would still fit.

I quickly dressed and laced up my shoes before standing in front of the mirror again and slipped the hat onto my head. A perfect fit. Damn I look good. I hope that Bailey and more importantly, her parents, like me. The clock on the wall said 6:40. I was going to be late if I didn't leave now. I waded my way back through the piles of crap that filled my mom's house. I checked her again before sneaking her keys out of her purse and leaving.

I had to make it to Jax's house, find Kip, and then hurry up and get to Bailey's house. Being late would not be a great first impression. Digging my phone out of my pocket as I shifted the truck into gear, I called Kip to make sure he was ready so we could just go straight to her house. Now I only had to drive by Jax's so he could follow me. I barely slowed enough to get Kip to drive behind me and continued on my way her house.

God I am so nervous. I don't think I've ever felt so inadequate. What if her parents saw my tattoos or didn't let her go with me? I've never, ever felt this way about a girl or myself. All I knew was I couldn't let her go. I needed her in my life.

When I pulled up to her house, I waved for Kip to fall back and stay around the corner until we left again. I tried to summon any courage I had as I slowly walked to her front door. Before I could back out, I rang the doorbell. Oh god, please don't let me sweat through this shirt…

I looked up and down the street as I tried to put my nerves at ease. The door opened and my eyes snapped forward. My jaw dropped and I couldn't believe my eyes. She was so damn beautiful, it took my breath away. Bailey didn't even seem to notice how she affected me. I thought my knees would give out as I tried to walk into her house.

The look on Bailey's face told me she was expecting me to wear my normal outfit: jeans, boots, a SAMCRO shirt, and my cut. This was my chance to prove to her that I was different. I could be the guy she wanted me to be.

Looking around, I felt so out of place. She truly was a princess and I was unworthy; a pauper playing her prince. She deserved more than me but the thought of her being with anyone else killed me. Suddenly, I found myself deep inside her house, she was leading me to the kitchen where her mom was waiting. Her mom looked kind, unjudging, welcoming. Something I wasn't expecting, she was different from the other two women I had for mothers.

Bailey was about to introduce me to her mom and I knew I couldn't let her say my nickname. That would be the first strike against me, my appearance would be the second. I jumped in, unfortunately cutting Bailey off, but wanting to introduce myself. I tried to be respectful and courteous. Her mother seemed to respond positively to me. Her approval seems imminent.

Of course, Bailey looked mortified. She looked like she wanted to crawl under the rug but her mom was pleasant. Then the front door opened. Panic gripped me. Her father. Girls like Bailey always had hard ass fathers. He'll immediately turn me down, was all I could think.

He entered the kitchen and we introduced ourselves. His handshake was strong and intimidating. The look in his eye should have sent me running but seeing Bailey in my peripheral kept me still. I gripped his hand back, trying to infuse confidence and qualities into myself that he'd want his daughter to be with. After what seemed like hours, he let go. I thought that would be it but then he still seemed to be questioning my morals.

Finally, he told us that we could go but to be back at 10:30. To be honest, I wasn't planning on keeping her out that late. Dinner and a movie. Innocent and light. Nothing that would make her feel uncomfortable.

After helping her into the passenger seat, I climbed into the driver's seat and started the truck. My eyes shifted between Bailey, the road, and the mirrors to make sure Kip was following. She seemed to be nervous and I couldn't figure out why. She was the one who held my future in her hands.

Dinner was quiet, almost perfect. I told her a little more about me and asked her a few more questions about her. We just seemed to click. The chemistry was there, I could only hope she'd want to act on it. The candlelight made her look even more amazing. Before she could try to pay, I quickly footed the bill. No way in hell was I going to let my girl pay for anything around me.

I made sure that Kip was invisible to her the whole time but I knew where he was. I had promised him that I'd pay him back for anything he paid for tonight. Jax had insisted Kip follow us and I knew it was a good idea but I couldn't help feeling protective of Bailey and wanting to keep her away from Kip or any other guy.

On our way to the movie theater, I gently held her hand in mine. I worried that my hand would be slick with sweat but she didn't comment. Her smile said it all, she was having a good time. With me.

We were teasing each other back and forth, making each other relax and feel comfortable. I knew Bailey wouldn't want to see the scary movie with me. But you can't blame a guy for wanting his girl to cling to him. We finally settled on a different movie, one with tons of action but less blood and guts. I bought the tickets and was ready to buy her whatever she wanted at the snack bar but she pushed my hand back and paid for it.

I saw Kip sneak in behind us, sitting several rows back. Bailey tensed and grabbed my arm every time something suspenseful happened. It was cute that she was reaching out to me for safety. It felt great and like she trusted me at least a little bit. I slid my hand into hers to add to her security. The girl had the grip of a python. I thought my fingers were going to fall off so when she let go, I took the chance to slip my arm around her shoulders. It was adorable when she spilled the popcorn from being so afraid, it definitely made me feel a little bit more masculine.

Bailey seemed a little hesitant when we got up and left the theater. Like the movie was affecting her thought process. I tried to reassure her and talk to her softly as I gently held her hand while we walked out onto the street. I looked over my shoulder and saw Kip hurrying back to his bike.

Three Mayan motorcycles cruised by us, making Bailey shudder and press herself to me. She was indeed scared and it wasn't just from the movie. I knew we should have seen a more 'date night' movie. I put my arm around her and pulled her tighter against me and turning so she was blocked by the street. Kip had stopped in his tracks and was about to turn back to be near us but I waved him off.

I had to nearly pry her hands off my shirt as I resisted the urge to kiss her forehead. I made some pussy excuse about getting her home before her dad worried but I really just wanted to get her safe and then go ask Jax if we could involve Clay now. By the time we got to her house, I realized how late it was. Of course I got out and walked her to the door, wanting this to be an official first date.

Her lips were the only things on my mind but I felt guilty for my impure thoughts about her. She hugged me and then hesitated just long enough, as if she wanted me to kiss her. So I leaned in and lightly pressed my lips to hers. They were soft and sweet, I wanted more, so much more.

Before I could try to deepen the kiss, the door opened behind her. She jerked away from me and turned, seeing her father standing behind her. Oh no, this situation couldn't get any worse. He was glaring at me, angry and dominate.

Bailey was blushing furiously, clearly humiliated that her father caught us. The only thing I could do was thank her father and get out of there before he decided to show me a gun collection. Kip met me on the corner and smiled, knowing that I got a kiss.

"Kip. Did you see who those guys were?"

He nodded, "Mayans. Two from school, one fully patched member. They stared straight at you."

"I have a bad feeling about this." I said, my gut telling me that something bad was going to happen.

"Man, you worry a lot. Let's just go to bed. The fundraiser is tomorrow, you can ask Jax then." He yawned and drove off.

On my way home, I couldn't stop thinking about Bailey and the Mayans that drove by us. Would they make a move on her? Was she in danger? I wish I knew exactly what to do and how to protect her. I fell asleep for the first time in a long time at my mom's house, wishing I could be next to Bailey.

The next morning, I woke up to Jax kicking my bed. "C'mon, Gemma wants us up and at the fundraiser."

Groaning, I rolled over and trudged to the bathroom, wondering if Bailey was thinking about me. "How'd you get in here?" I grumbled. After showering, I pulled on a pair of nicer jeans, a plaid shirt, my black sweatshirt, and my black boots. Tucking the Yankee's hat into my back pocket, I followed Jax out to our bikes. It was so bright outside and I was still half asleep as we drove to the fundraiser.

As soon as we reached the parking lot, I was looking around for Bailey. Jax and Opie seemed to know what I was doing. I could feel myself blush slightly but I wanted to see her. We all parked our bikes next to Gemma's car, I yanked the hat onto my head, and then I saw her. She was trying to get a large box out of the trunk of an SUV. While she walked towards the booths, she bumped into several people. I could see the box slipping from her grip. How could I just stand her and let her drop the contents she was trying to carry? For that matter, what kind of guy would I be if I let her carry anything at all?

I hurried towards her and picked up speed when I saw her run into another man, the box jerked towards the ground. Quickly, I grabbed the box and shifted it into my arms. She was startled that I was helping and wanted to take the heavy box back. I wondered how she managed to carry it so far as I shook my head and waited for her to lead me to her parents.

Her mom was unpacking several desserts from another box when I set the box down on a chair. We made small talk until her father snuck up on me and asked me about my mom. It was embarrassing but I answered him vaguely yet honestly. The whole thing made me uncomfortable but I tried to play it off and then politely excused myself.

I walked back over to the SAMCRO booth to relax and leave Bailey with her parents for a little bit. I was a little ashamed that Bailey's life seemed so perfect and mine has been so crappy. Truthfully, I just wanted to be alone for a little bit or with people who understood me.

I found Gemma and waited until she was free, "Hey, Gemma, can I ask you something?"

She wiped her hands on her jeans and pulled me aside to talk, "Sure baby, what's up?"

"I really like this girl…" I started.

"Uh oh… This won't be good." She chuckled.

I held up my hands, "She's different. Not at all crazy like Janelle. She's nice, beautiful, smart, sweet… but I don't know how to act all the time. Especially around her parents…"

"Good girls are tough Juice. You've got to be patient, respectful, responsible… Plus her parents, you've got to win them over. Don't try anything until you've earn her trust. Promise me Juice."

"I promise Gemma." I said solemnly.

"Good. You know you can come to me with any questions. Let's get back to the fundraiser and we'll talk about this more later."

I nodded, "Thanks." Before going off to find Jax or Opie to talk about the Mayan situation we were having. I found them standing in the parking lot.

Of course, I walked right into a trap. Opie, Jax, Kip, and Kyle were all waiting for me. They started giving me shit about not wearing my normal clothes or my cut. Jax and Opie seemed to understand and were just worried about me. Kip didn't say anything but Kyle was so negative it was getting on my nerves. He was being rude about my girl and I was about to get into a fight just to shut him up. Kyle kept rambling about how falling for a girl turned guys like us into pussies.

Before I could even respond to him, I hear a feminine sounding cry behind us. I hurried to the building nearby and found Bailey, looking so frightened while Tig was standing no more than five feet from her. Immediately, my gut tightened and I stood in between them. Jax jumped in to help, pulling Tig away and back to Gemma.

Bailey kept staring after them when I turned to her. I would give anything to take away the darkness I saw lingering in her eyes. She started blaming herself for eavesdropping when I should have been taking the blame for one of my patched members. After a few more minutes, she asked me more about my mom and home life. If I could, I would sweep it under the rug, never talk about it again. The pity in Bailey's eyes was so frustrating. Why was she focused on me? I should be only focused on making her smile.

I was about to say something when I caught sight of her father's eyes, glaring in our direction. She turned to leave me and go back to her parents' booth alone. I realized I couldn't let her go. I wanted to be next to her, only hang out with her today. My hand carefully wrapped around her forearm. She gifted me with the most beautiful smile that melted my heart.

When we got to the booth, she sat down behind the table while her parents went off to see what else was offered at the fundraiser. After they left, I sat next to her, watching her sell desserts and people watching as we shared a comfortable silence. She noticed that her parents drifted dangerously close to the SAMCRO booth and stiffened. I took this opportunity to tell her how great last night was.

Her face lit up and I could tell she felt the same way. I could only hope that she was starting to fall for me. I was about to lean over and kiss her when Jax, Opie, and Kyle walked up. The look on Kyle's face told me he was about to start something.

He wouldn't take his eyes off of Bailey and I could feel my jealousy getting the best of me. Bailey was trying to con them into buying some cupcakes and like normal Kyle took it too far. Her cheeks flushed and I could tell she was flustered. Instantly, I jumped to her rescue. The straw that broke the camels back was when he called me a pussy and Bailey a bitch.

I charged at Kyle, knowing that Jax and Opie were trying to separate us. I couldn't let him get away with talking to Bailey like that. After launching myself at him and damn near tackling him, Jax and Opie herded us to the parking lot. Punches were thrown and I did my best to get him into a headlock or an arm bar, something to shut him the hell up.

"See that slut has you wrapped around her finger. You're such a little bitch Ortiz." Kyle huffed.

I had my arm around his neck, cutting off his airway the best I could, "You'll regret this Hobart." Was all I could manage out as I wrestled him into the dirt.

Tig and Happy finally pulled us apart and Chibs looked us over. Chibs spat out, "This is not how we present ourselves at the fundraiser." Jax quietly explained what happened as the older men made sure we calmed down, "Seems like the both of you have some apologizing to do."

Happy nudged me towards Jax and Bailey's booth while Tig dragged Kyle away from all of us. Jax shook his head and chuckled as we walked back to the table I had just come so close to knocking over. Bailey looked upset, pissed maybe. Her father looked even angrier.

Jax easily started the conversation and bought us a dozen cupcakes. He was trying to help me butter her parents up. Her father wasn't having any of it. His posture told me that he was overprotective of his daughter and that he wasn't going to let any one of us near him.

We carried the cupcakes back to SAMCRO to apologize to Gemma and the others for causing a scene. My mind wandered back to Bailey and wanted to be with her but her father wouldn't be having it. I watched her talk to her father and wished I knew exactly what was being said. She looked sad as she got up and walked around the small area of booths.

Opie nudged me, making me tear my gaze from Bailey. "Hey man, how's it going?"

I shrugged, "Not bad."

"How's Bailey?" He was pushing; obviously worried that Kyle was messing with my head.

"I think she's fine but her dad's gonna be a tough one to crack." I crossed my arms over my chest.

"You've just got to keep trying, brother. Good luck." He left me, going to find Donna in the crowd.

When I looked back to where Bailey was, she wasn't there. I could feel myself getting anxious; not seeing her was driving me insane. I pushed myself out of my resting spot and looked around wildly for her. I finally spotted her leaning against a planter near the parking lot. Relief coursed through me as I ran a hand over my face. Her body language seemed excited and happy, making me smile as I watched her.

Tig bumped into me, making me lose focus again, "Hey Juicey. I just wanted to apologize for scaring your girl. Bobby told me…"

I blew out my breath, "Ugh Bobby."

Chibs nudged me next, "Don't worry, we won't tell everyone. Plus we've all fallen for a woman at some point or another."

They laughed and then ribbed each other as they walked away. I groaned and then turned back to look at Bailey. The sight I saw made me feel sick. Kyle, the son of a bitch that I just beat up, was approaching her. My blood started boiling again until I saw Jax and Happy behind her. Happy looked like he normally did, menacing. Kyle's demeanor changed suddenly and then he backed away from her faster than I thought he could run.

I quickly hid so she wouldn't catch me watching her but I kept my eye on her as she walked back and struck up a conversation with Gemma and then went to watch Bobby do his Elvis impersonation. I took this opportunity to sneak up on her and ask her to hang out with me later.

She looked even more beautiful than she did last night. I'd give anything to sweep her into my arms and kiss her until she gasped for air. Before I could ask her, she asked me. It was so adorable and it made me want her even more.

Her father was calling for her and I knew they were leaving the fundraiser but I couldn't wait until later to see her again. After she left, I spent hours trying to shake off the members of SAMCRO. Instead of leaving with them, I helped Gemma clean up her booth, carried things to her car and tore down the tent.

I went back with her to her house to relax and help her finish cleaning up from making her chili while I waited for Bailey to text me. I finally got a message: _Hey Juice, you can come over whenever. Oh and bring your favorite movie._

It was sweet and innocent, so flirtatious. Knowing what I did about girls, I could sense this was a trap. _I'll be there soon but I'd rather bring your favorite movie._

Bailey and I have talked about our likes and dislikes several times. I felt like I knew her pretty well. I quickly rifled through the DVDs on my desk and found it, the copy of Footloose I bought just after she told me it was one of her favorites. Just before I turned to leave, I thought: maybe I should take a back up just in case. I grabbed Final Destination 5, another movie I'd purchased when I went to the store for Footloose. I hadn't seen it yet and Bailey told me she hadn't either.

Readjusting my outfit, I left Jax's house. Her father wouldn't like it but I was very excited to see her. As soon as she opened the door, I couldn't stop the grin from spreading on my face. I was about to lean in when her father announced his presence. I quickly put distance between us as he threatened me to keep space between us.

She looked flushed but still happy to see me. Her father angrily went upstairs while Bailey pulled me into the living room. I saw that she'd purposely left Fight Club on the coffee table. I couldn't help but chuckle. She'd remembered. I pulled Footloose from my jacket and waved it in front of her. Being the sweet girl that she is, she wanted to watch my favorite. I couldn't let her do that so I held out Final Destination 5.

I watched as fear crossed through her eyes but she tried to hide it. She nodded and went to get popcorn and drinks. The movie started and I thought it'd be fine until she flinched. My heart squeezed as I looked as her and saw her freaked out expression. She, of course, denied just how terrified she was but I couldn't take it any more. I eased myself around her and gently moved her into me, trying desperately to console her.

Every time she jumped, I pulled her closer to me, hoping she'd feel safe in my arms. The movie ended and Bailey looked ashamed of herself. I couldn't let her think she was anything but desirable. She looked so scared and worried I wouldn't like her.

Her eyes made her look so vulnerable, I couldn't stand it. I made the first promise I'd ever make to her, knowing I'd do my best to never break it. My arms squeezed her to my chest, hoping she'd believe me. I let my lips softly brush her forehead.

I wished the moment could last forever but it was interrupted. Bailey's father walked in the room and it was like a bomb went off. Bailey's tensed and pushed away from me while I jumped off the couch and quickly put the coffee table between us. Luckily, her mom entered the room with a mission. She pulled her husband into the garage to obviously argue with him.

My guilt spread throughout my body as I warily held her hand and sat next to her on the couch. I should just leave. Bailey is worth the tension that I was causing but I couldn't let this hurt her. When her parents came back in, my eyes stared after them. Bailey looked so uncomfortable that I had to do something. A simple gesture. I raised her hand to my lips and lightly pressed them into her soft skin.

Dinner was ready and the air was thick with tension. I sat across from Bailey, more nervous that I ever thought I could be. What have I gotten myself into?

Her father made me take off my hat and I thanked my lucky stars it had been days since I shaved my head. The stubble on the sides of my Mohawk had filled in quickly to cover the tribal like lightning bolts on either side of my head. Then, he asked me to say grace. Granted I hadn't been to church since I don't know when, I decided to wing it. I managed to stumble through it and let out the breath I was holding. Hopefully the worst of it was over.

The entire meal flew by. Her father wouldn't say anything to me and her mother was trying to be polite. Bailey kept smiling at me, her eyes full of hope but she was shy. As soon as everyone was finished eating and the dishes were cleared, I made an excuse to leave. I would have liked to stay forever but I knew that if I did, her father would likely chop my dick off.

Her eyes were glittering as we stood on the front porch. Trying to come up with the best way to say goodnight, I couldn't find the words. Her father's loud footsteps caused me to lean in and kiss her lips gently and smile before hurrying back to the truck.

I started the engine and drove away before her father could come after me with a shotgun. Not wanting to go home, I went to Jax's house to crash in the spare bedroom. Gemma was still up watching TV when I entered. She smiled and let me pass by without saying anything. After taking off my boots, pants, and shirts, I laid down on the bed in just my boxers.

Scrambling for my phone, I held it in my hands, trying to think of what to text Bailey. All I knew is that I needed to talk to her. _Hey Bailey I had fun today. Can we hang out again tomorrow?_

I patiently yet anxiously waited for her response. _Sure! Do you want to go to the movies?_

My grin could have lit up the world. _That sounds great! Plus Jax says we can always go to his house. Want to meet me at the theater around lunchtime?_

Before I fell asleep, she texted me back. _Ok see you there :) _

That night I had a strange dream: Bailey was standing in the middle of Teller-Morrow's lot, waiting for me. I tried to go to her but looking down, I saw that I was covered with fur. A mirror appeared next to me and my reflection looked like a beast: half bear and half gorilla. I was appalled. She wouldn't like me, not like this. When I looked back up at her, I saw several bikers surrounding her, slowly creeping in like predators waiting to attack their prey. I had to protect her. I jumped into action, blocking her from view. They shot at me, bullets sizzled through the air, some tore at my skin…

I jerked awake and found myself covered in sweat. Shit, that dream was horrible. The clock read 10:30. I had to shower and get downtown. Listening carefully, I didn't hear anyone. They must still be asleep… I thought before going to get ready.

I managed to make it to the theater at 11:45, hoping I'd beat her there. A girl like her shouldn't be kept waiting. I had only been waiting for about five or ten minutes when she pulled up. My lips turned up into a wide smile, so glad she came.

She told me she had a bad dream, which was weird because I did too. When I pressed on the issue, she balked even though her eyes told me a different story. I pulled out my wallet and paid for our tickets to see the chick flick she wanted to see. When we went to the snack bar, I beat her to the cash again, quickly paying so she wouldn't have a chance. Bailey kept objecting, wanting to pay for something but I'd be a fool to let a girl as wonderful as she was pay for anything ever again.

The movie was cute and funny, I actually enjoyed myself. My hand found hers in the dark as I gently ran my thumb over her knuckles while we watched the story unfold. I kept her hand in mine as the movie ended and we left the building. If I didn't invite her to Jax's, she'd be going home and I wouldn't see her the rest of the day.

Bailey followed me to Jax's house, glad that we'd get all afternoon together. Fortunately, no one else was there. Only Gemma, Jax, and Clay. Most likely they were all still asleep. I led her into the house, only to meet Gemma clearly waiting for us.

While Gemma went to make us a snack, I showed Bailey the spare bedroom. My room. She was amazed that I was honest about my cleanliness. She was actually reassuring me that she's the same way. Wanting her stuff to be in the right places. I leaned against the wall as she looked around the room.

Bailey eased herself onto the bed and looked like she was waiting for something. I could barely hold back any longer. With slow, deliberate movements, so I wouldn't spook her, I leaned down and brushed my lips against hers. My chest was so close to hers as I gradually got her to lay back on the mattress. Using my elbows to prop me up, I let my knees slide around her. I tenderly kissed her again, trying to keep the hunger from my lips. Her hands petted me, leaving no part of my skin untouched. I slowly cupped her head and slipped my hand under her back. Not wanting her to feel overwhelmed, I fell to the side, leaving one leg over her possessively as my fingers drifted through her long brown hair.

Our passion must have been getting the best of us because she was being free and open with her kisses, nothing like her outward appearance. Then suddenly, she stilled and braced herself next to me. Her hands felt panicky against my chest, pushing desperately at me. As fast as I could, I untangled myself from her and scooted away.

I felt so guilty for pushing her, for taking what I wanted. I shouldn't have kissed her. But her lips were so sweet, so soft, I wanted more. They were electric and the sparks between us were amazing. Yet the guilt from kissing her without asking was eating away at me. I couldn't believe how close I came to messing this all up.

When I looked at her, her eyes were watery and her face was dark. It broke something inside of me. I hastily apologized, knowing that her change of mood had to do with the Mayan asshole that tried to rape her last week. She stopped me, the helpless look on her face made me not move a muscle. Her voice nearly faltered as she told me of the asshole who broke her heart. The pain he caused her made me want to track him down, hunt him, and beat the living shit out of him.

The perfect princess had a dark side? I should have run a more extensive background check but there was only so much dirt to dig up. I gulped and took it like a man. I wanted her to be mine and the only way she would trust me is if I take it slow. Acceptance enveloped me as I assured her that if she didn't want to do something, we wouldn't do it. I'd wait for her. She as worth the wait and I'm determined to do this the right way.

She still looked flighty and fearful. I knew I had to get her out of the bedroom. Changing the subject, I pulled her back into the living room and onto the couch to watch TV. If any of the guys knew what I did and said to her today, they'd torment me relentlessly about being a pussy. Yes, I'd settled for cuddling on the couch but Bailey wasn't one of those girls who put out easily. I wasn't in it for the sex, I was in it for all of it.

I noticed Bailey start to nod off and smiled, knowing she felt safe enough to sleep in my arms. Just when I hoped nothing would wake her up, Clay's bedroom door slammed and he fumed through the hall. Her eyes cracked open as I felt her grip my shirt. I murmured in her ear to calm her nerves when I saw just how tired she was.

After convincing her to go home and get some real rest, I took her home. I was reluctant to leave her but I knew she needed the sleep and her father wouldn't take too kindly to a bad boy like me keeping her out for too long. Exhaustion hit me on the way back to Jax's. I hadn't realized I was so tired until after I led her home.

The past two days have been so sweet and I would cherish them forever. As I fell asleep, all I could think about was seeing Bailey again.


	12. Juice's Side Part 3

**This will be the last chapter of only Juice's thoughts. Now that we've caught up with how he's been feeling, the next chapter will be much more interesting ;) Enjoy!  
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– **Jennifer11**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Sons of Anarchy or anything that Kurt Sutter created.**

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><p>Bailey was the only thing I could think about. Sitting at my desk, I opened my laptop to try to find more details about her past. If there were anything I could do to help her, I would do it. Something in her eyes told me that there was something I was missing. Who had hurt her before that Mayan? I couldn't find anything that linked her to anyone but her best friend Ashley.<p>

Even though Bailey's parents drove her to and from school everyday, we spent every morning before school and every afternoon after school hanging out. I wouldn't push her again until I was certain that's what she wanted. I'd never force her to do anything. She was too much of a precious flower for me to ruin. We talked about her friend, how excited she was to see her this weekend and how much she hoped I'd get along with her. Anyone this important to her had to be important to me, this weekend would be big and I'd have to step it up a little to impress Ashley.

Bailey kept trying to tell me how exactly she was feeling about me but I didn't want her to tell me just to ease my mind. I wanted her to mean it and not put herself in a position to feel so vulnerable and unhappy. I'd gently touch her arm or hand, smiling only at her as we talked or listened to our friends, making sure she knew how much I liked her.

Friday morning rolled around and I was nervous but excited to meet this legendary Ashley. Bailey was even more radiant as she got antsy about being reunited with her best friend. Her iPhone rang and she was jumping with joy as she took a few steps away from the group of us. I could tell she at first sounded happy and then her expression changed, leaving her upset.

Wanting to comfort her, I put my hand around hers. Her lips were turned down into a pout, worry etched on her brow. After reassuring her that things were probably fine, I invited her and her friend to the movies. I quickly pulled her to me and kissed her lightly before we headed to different classes.

Of course while I sat next to Kip in Shop Class, he managed to invite himself to the movies with us. Groaning, I told him it was fine if he wanted to join us. It only got worse during lunch, Kip told Jax and Opie while Kyle was close enough to over hear and now it was a whole group thing. Would Bailey be ok with this?

I finally got to US History, so happy to see Bailey, until I saw the look on her face. She was upset, clearly about the phone call she got this morning. Luckily, I had time during Computer Class to hack into the airline database to check on the flight and the passenger roster. While we waited for Mr. Williams to start teaching us something, I scribbled Bailey a long note, explaining to her the research I did and soothing her thoughts about her fears.

She smiled at me, grateful for my words of encouragement. Once school was over, we made our way to the parking lot together and I could tell she was trying not to rush home even though she wanted to so badly. I casually caught her hand in mind as we walked. My mind was bursting with thoughts, wanting to ask her to be exclusive with me but worried she'd turn me down.

I slowed to a stop, tugging her back to me and shyly smiling at her. I couldn't quite find the words to ask her. Rambling, I was trying to find my point. Bailey's eyes were searching mine for the reason I kept talking. I finally blurted out, "Do you want to be my girlfriend?"

My existence hung in the balance as I waited for her to answer. I knew her father hated me and wouldn't want us to but I wouldn't let her go. My face nearly broke in my surprise as Bailey threw herself into me. I gasped for air as I hugged her to me, lucky to have such a wonderful girl in my arms. Pulling away just enough to kiss her, our lips met and molded to each other. I wanted to kiss her every minute of every day, she deserved it.

When Kyle cleared his throat, I knew what he was up to. I had to diffuse the situation because I had my arms wrapped around Bailey. He grabbed me but I tried to shove him away. No one was going to separate me from her.

Spotting Jax, Opie, Donna, and Tara across the parking lot near Bailey's car and our bikes, I started walking us over there, hoping Kyle would just go away. Instead, he rammed into my back, clearly angry about my comment about his mother. Stumbling, I watched as Bailey went down, sprawled on the pavement. Horror crossed my face but Kyle wouldn't back down. I threw my fist into his jaw but then he charged at me, slamming me into the ground. Rolling him over, we traded punches, unresolved feelings between us rising to the surface.

Before I knew it, Opie grabbed Kyle off of me and dragged him away, leaving me on the ground on my back. I groaned and then remembered Bailey had been clutching her knee. My eyes looked wildly around the parking lot for her. She was on her car, her eyes upset as Tara and Donna talked to her. Jax helped me up and pulled me out of sight from the parking lot.

"Why are you and Kyle fighting so much lately?" He demanded.

I shrugged, "I don't know what his deal is but he keeps talking shit about Bailey and I can't let him do that!"

He nodded, "I know, I know. Defending your girl's honor or let him say horrible things and make her mad. Of course I'd choose the first one too. A happy girlfriend means you're going to be happy too…"

I chuckled, "I knew that much. God, I hate fighting that prick. Why is he our friend?"

Jax shook his head, "Because Clay wants him in with us. Alright let's get to work and get cleaned up. Someone has to earn money to pay for this movie tonight."

I laughed with him as Opie, Kip, and a bleeding Kyle rejoined us. We got onto our bikes and went to Teller- Morrow. I didn't say more than two words to Kyle for the rest of the afternoon. Before getting started on work, I decided to call Bailey, worried she was hurt or wouldn't want talk to me.

I fidgeted while I waited for her to answer. "Hey Bailey? I just wanted to apologize. I was being immature earlier but Kyle…"

She jumped in, "Juice? It's not your fault. Kyle start it."

Wow, she was so understanding and not willing to let me take the blame for her getting hurt. "But you got hurt…" I said quietly, hoping she'd forgive me.

"I'm fine. I swear. Will I see you later? What time do you want to go to the movies?" She sounded hopeful and I was fully intending on making today up to her.

"Uh... how about around 7? I'll bring Jax, Opie, and the girls…" I replied, knowing they had all invited themselves.

"Sounds great. I'll see you then." She paused before hesitantly continuing, "Um Juice? I have to tell you…"

"See you later Juice!" Another female voice shouted before the phone call was disconnected.

I frowned as I looked at my phone. Was that Ashley who hung up? What was Bailey about to tell me? Was she in trouble?

I couldn't dwell on it for too long because Tig growled at me to get to work. Following the others, we all did chores and fiddled with our bikes or other cars. After making a couple repo runs, Clay let us leave for the movies. Gemma stopped us from leaving and told us about the party at her house tonight. I was hesitant to agree, would Bailey want to go?

We all gathered, freshened up quickly, and left our cuts at Jax's house before Jax and Opie went to go pick up their girls. Kip and I followed behind them slowly, Kyle decided he didn't want to go with us, which was for the best. I would have killed him if he tried to hurt Bailey again. I was anxious to see Bailey and nervous to see her friend.

We'd all gotten to the theater early, waiting outside for Bailey to show up. Finally spotting her across the parking lot, I grinned, she was drop dead gorgeous. She was walking towards us with a tall blonde girl who looked like she could be one hell of a time. My eyes glanced over the other girl before settling on the boy following both of them. He looked way to damn preppy to be from Charming. His eyes were on Bailey as the group walked over to us.

Protectiveness washed over me as I tried to swallow my jealousy. He was too damn close and I wanted to stake my claim over what was mine. Before I could, Bailey launched herself into me, hugging me so tightly I couldn't breathe. Chuckling, I hugged her back. Over her shoulder, I saw the boy with her glaring at us. Clearly he was into her.

She pulled back, barely glancing at the guy before introducing me to Ashley and Ashley to the group. The girl's eyes sparkled with mystery and a wildness that guys loved to try to tame. She was beautiful but not my type. Bailey was the one for me.

The guy who was left out immediately introduced himself to us but no one really responded. Bailey and Ashley's body language told us that they didn't want to be near the guy. We all picked up on it, and the vibe he was giving off, and gave him somewhat of a cold shoulder.

When we got to the ticket counter, I quickly paid for myself, Bailey, and Ashley. The thought of paying for the other boy, Brett, made my skin crawl. The hell I was going to front another guy's bill. Bailey followed my lead and didn't buy him anything at the snack bar. We took our seats and I took Bailey's hand. Brett sat on my other side, which made me angry, but at least he wasn't near Bailey.

Possessively, I slid my arm around her shoulder and kissed her cheek. She smiled and seemed to be happy next to me. The movie ended and as we were walking out, I made sure my hand was around hers. Kip was clearly digging Ashley because they were walking close and whispering to each other. The guy, Brett was sulking as he followed us.

When we reached the point of us splitting apart, Kip suggested we all go to the party at Jax's. Ashley thought it was brilliant but Bailey seemed to hold back. The thought of Bailey being surround by the rowdy guys of SAMCRO made me cringe. But she caved and said we should. Tara and Donna went with them to make sure they made it to the party while we all climbed onto our bikes and drove to the party.

Once we pulled up, everyone went inside while I waited for Bailey. If she didn't want to go, I'd gladly take her home. Unfortunately she insisted as did her best friend. So far I thought the girl was a complete opposite of Bailey but they were giggly and attached at the hip.

Just inside the door, Bailey stopped, her eyes glanced all around the room as her lip caught between her teeth. To ease her, I guided her to the kitchen to get her a drink. Knowing she wouldn't want to drink alcohol and that I didn't really like it anyways, I pulled out two cans of Coke. I smiled at her as I held her hand and led her around the party, introducing her to Bobby, Chibs, and Piney, knowing they were less likely to tease me or treat her rudely.

We sat down near Jax and Tara, I made sure she was comfortable, sitting on the armrest and my lap. Looking around the room, I saw Kyle talking to Brett. My eyes narrowed as I thought about what they could possibly be discussing. Bailey seemed bored on my lap as she finished her can of soda. Maybe we should be alone…

My hands stroked her back lightly and I invited her outside. She seemed shy as she followed me out to the backyard and the pool. Kicking off my shoes and rolling my pants, I sat down on the edge of the pool to let my feet dangle in. I smiled up at her and waited for her to join me.

She seemed so graceful as she sat next to me. I handed her a bottle of water, "So, what do you think about the party?"

She sipped and then tried to smile, "It's… intense. But everyone seems to be having fun so…"

Damn it. She wasn't having fun. "But are you having fun?"

She shook her head slightly and looked up at me, "Yes. Any time I get to hang with you is fun."

I moved towards her, putting my hand behind her as I leaned back, "You know, I like you."

She barely had time to whisper, "I know." Before I leaned in and kissed her ever so gently.

Our lips continued to press hungrily to each other's until we were interrupted. I looked past Bailey to see Brett standing there. First, I was pissed that he was ending our kiss. Second I was mad that he wanted to talk to Bailey alone. Why did he think he deserved time with her? Her face darkened and her eyes were cloudy as she reassured me to go back inside.

How could I leave her alone? I would never plan to. I looked over my shoulder as I walked back inside. There was something about that guy that really irked me. It was like he thought he could just take whatever he wanted. I knew I had to work to keep earning Bailey's trust and right now was one of those times.

Standing in the kitchen, I watched through the window as Bailey talked to the guy. His back was to me so I couldn't tell what he was saying but Bailey looked slightly uncomfortable. This only made my stomach churn with emotion. The second she brushed by him to rejoin me, I watched, frozen in horror, as he grabbed her hand and yanked her back around to face him. If that wasn't enough, the look on his face was one of anger and demanding control. I rushed back outside, shoving others aside as I went, but stopped short when I saw Bailey slug him with all her might and then thrust her knee up into his crotch.

As the boy fell to his knees, Bailey managed out, "Don't you ever touch me again. And I'm telling my father exactly what you did."

My eyes widened, realizing this boy must have been the one who tried to force her into bed. Her ex-boyfriend. Was in town. Was in Jax's backyard. Had touched my girlfriend. I was flabbergasted yet I knew exactly what I had to do. Smash his face in.

When she turned around and saw me with my jaw open, her cheeks turned bright red. "**He's** your ex?" I huffed. Several people were behind me in the doorway but I only focused on Bailey.

She barely mumbled, "Yes." But I already knew the answer as I charged passed her.

Brett was still lying on the ground, holding his crotch. Hauling him up towards me, I snarled in his face, "Why would you ever do something like that to a girl like Bailey?" I shook him but he wouldn't say a word. I thrust my fist into his eye, knocking him to the ground again. "You will _**never**_ touch my girlfriend again. If you ever so much as look at her, you're fucking dead."

Turning on my heel, I went back to Bailey, seeing her look of shock and the shiver that rolled through her body. Pulling her into my chest, I hugged her before taking a step back and holding her hands up as I massaged them. I kept checking for any breaks or bruises. If she hurt herself punching that asshole, I'd never forgive myself.

Ashley appeared next to us and asked what happened to Brett. Kip and a few others were confused near us, wondering why the hell there had been a fight in the backyard. I couldn't stop touching Bailey; I had to make sure she wasn't hurt, physically or emotionally. The jabs she took at him seemed to make her feel better.

Brett dragged himself out of the grass and begged Bailey to keep what happened a secret. How dare he! I tightened my grip on her as I threatened him to back off.

Ashley mentioned something about a bet, which Bailey had never told me about. We all shot each other confusing looks until Brett chimed in, "You didn't hear? Your girl put out to win a bet." The smirk on his face was begging to be wiped off.

Bailey stiffened and then went into attack mode, lunging towards Brett, trying to get to him. Luckily, Happy jumped in and caught her, holding her back so she wouldn't get hurt again. While her eyes started watering, I launched into action. Charging and tackling him to the ground, I kept punching blindly to hit him as many times as possible. It wasn't until Tig pulled me away that I realized how much damaged I caused. Brett was nearly limp in Chibs' arms but mustered enough energy to sneer at me. Gemma was shouting something and directing everyone but I couldn't think of anything other than killing that bastard who touched what was mine.

Ashley jumped in and told Gemma the whole story while Brett and I struggled against the men holding us back. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Bailey turn into Happy, frowning and tears streaming down her face. I was so grateful that Happy was taking care of her; he was honorable when it came to women but I wish that I could have been the one to hold her.

Tig's grip was tight on my shirt but Chibs quickly zip tied Brett's hands behind his back. I warned them not to hurt him. I knew what some of the SAMCRO members would do to men who thought treating women like crap was acceptable. I've seen them 'take care' of those types of men. Chibs nodded and dragged the boy to the pool, zip tying him to the metal railing and kicking him once before coming back to me and Tig.

Chibs quickly looked me over, touching the small cut on my face. "What the hell happened Juicey?"

I flinched away, my jaw up in defiance, "That son of a bitch hurt Bailey in the past and then against tonight."

Bobby nodded, "Good job Juice. Now go take care of your girl, she's real upset."

I scrubbed my hand over my face. Shit, I've hurt her again. Without meaning to, I managed to drive her away. Would she ever forgive me? I groaned as I trudged towards the house. Pausing to splash water on my face and check the cut in the bathroom, I took a deep breath and stared at myself in the mirror. Come on Juice. Pull it together.

Making my way to my room, I saw Happy guarding the door. Trusty Happy, always sticking up for those women who needed help. Jax, Opie, and Kip met me outside the door before we convinced Happy to let us in. It was easier than I thought it would be as he nodded and left to get himself a beer and probably a croweater.

Jax, Opie, and Kip managed to get Tara, Donna, and Ashley out of the room so I could talk to Bailey alone. Her eyes were red and puffy, her face splotchy from the emotion and tear that took place. As much as I want to comfort her, kiss away the tears, and hold her in my arms, I was mad. Why didn't she tell me about Brett?

While I was angry, she looked timid and so small on my bed. There was a huge tense, elephant in the room. I realized how closed minded I sounded as I angrily voice my concerns about our communication. She responded by coming back at me with her own hurt words, telling me exactly how she was feeling and how surprised she was when Brett showed up at her door this afternoon.

Her face was brimming with her own anger. Anger that was directed at me. I groaned and ran my hand over my hair. I fucked this up royally. A tear slipped down her cheek and I fought for control. The only thing I could do was be completely honest about my feelings. I told her how much I wanted to be the one to take care of her, the one to protect her, and keep her from being hurt ever again.

She slowly moved towards me, getting off the bed and standing in front of me. Flirtatiously, she joked about other ex-boyfriends. My heart tightened until I realized she was simply making light of the situation. Opening my arms, I hoped she'd walk into them. I managed to flirt back with her and hold her against me, thanking my lucky stars that she was willing to forgive me.

Looking at the clock behind her, I realized how late it was. I had to get her home before her dad called the cops to hunt me down. Chibs and Tig had sworn to put Brett in the backseat of Bailey's car, making sure he was secure and wouldn't lash out at the girls on their way home.

Taking her hand, I led her from the house and to her car. She stiffened when she saw Brett in the back seat, swearing under his breath. Brushing my lips against her temple in a gesture of love, I tried to assure her that he'd be more restrained for the ten-minute ride to her house.

I pushed to follow her home, to make sure she'd arrive safely and that Brett wouldn't try anything. She agreed though I was reluctant as I thought about her father. My eyes were sweeping through her car carefully as Kip and I followed her. We celebrated a short victory when we saw Ashley seemingly slap Brett. I wanted to stay at her house and watch the whole scene unfold but I knew if her father saw us, he'd chase me around town and not listen to the full truth.

Kip and I turned around and bid goodnight to the girls before heading back to Jax's. I couldn't wait to hear what happened with her father but I knew we'd have to wait. Instead we went back to relax for the rest of the night. Once we got back into the house, the party was back to normal, though some of the guys had gone home or were about to.

I grabbed a bottle of water before retreating to my room. I needed time to think and go over everything that happened. Bailey was beautiful yet managed to slug that guy, giving him what he deserved. I powered up my computer and started doing some digging. I had to know more about this guy and make sure he'd never come back. See if there was anything I could do to ensure his demise.

Before I could get to far, my phone rang. I fumbled to retrieve it from my pocket only to see it was Bailey. Something could have gone wrong; I had to talk to her. "Hey Bailey, you ok?" I managed to get out, trying to keep my worry from my voice.

"Yeah. Never better." The relief seeped from her voice and into my ear. I couldn't wipe the smile from my face, I was so glad she wasn't hurting or upset.

"It was so nerve-wracking." Ashley giggled.

I chuckled and shook my head, wiping my hand over my face, "I bet."

Bailey seemed nervous but over joyous as she spoke, "My father actually invited you to come to dinner tomorrow night, so you better be here."

The flirty tone of her voice warmed my heart. It eased the concern I had over all the tense moments we had today. "I wouldn't miss it for the world."

I barely heard Ashley shout, "I'm so tired!"

And then Bailey's laugh, "I'll talk to you tomorrow, ok Juice?"

My laughter followed hers, "I can't wait."

Her voice was so tiny as she murmured, "Bye."

I matched her voice level, "Goodnight Bailey, sweet dreams."

Hanging up, I went to lay on my bed, not bothering to undress. My body groaned as I dropped onto the mattress. Two fights in the same day, not to mention last weekend? It sure catches up with you. Fumbling in my nightstand, I found the body of ibuprofen and popped a few, gulping down water before falling asleep quickly.

All too soon, I woke up to Kip shaking my shoulder. I groaned and tried to shove him away. I didn't have any plans today but he insisted I get up. Finally I sat up, "What?" I grumbled.

He was grumpy as well, "Clay just told me to make sure you're at the garage. Says we have work to do."

"Fine." I got up and quickly changed into my SAMCRO normal clothes and cut.

We both shuffled out to our bikes and drove to TM. The other guys were irritable as they moved cars through the shop. Kip and I quickly got to work, being a good duo to tow cars and collect repos. Already being friends, I didn't mind it. Plus we got to talk and rehash about last night.

"You know…" Kip started as we drove through town, "I really like Ashley. I know I just met her but… There's something about her that draws me in…"

Nodding, I responded, "I know. She's just like Bailey… they're pretty special."

"Man, I want to get to know her more." He griped, "She's probably gonna go back home to her guy and it'll kill me."

I chuckled, he was falling hard, always did when it came to attractive, outgoing girls. "Well, Bailey's dad invited me for dinner… maybe you can come with me."

He lit up, "Please get me in there! Your girl has to hook me up!"

I growled at him, "My girl doesn't have to do shit for you."

He held up his hands, "I didn't mean it like that man." After a few awkward moments, he continued, "I just meant…"

I shook my head, "I know what you meant. Sorry Kippy. I just get so worked up when other guys talk about her."

"It's ok man, I get what you mean." He said quietly.

We rode in silence for the next couple of miles. I didn't know what to say or talk about and I knew he wanted to get into Ashley's pants but I couldn't let him try. What if it hurt Bailey?

Dropping off another car at TM, Clay told us we were all going to the diner for lunch. I always liked how impressive we all looked when we rode together in a pack. Intense, threatening, uniform. People respected or feared us as we drove by. I noticed that Tig and Kyle weren't there with us. The rest of us rolled off the lot and towards the diner, leaving me to wonder where they were.

As we got closer to the diner, I spotted Bailey's Mustang. My first chance to see her today and I couldn't stop the excitement from rolling through me, even though I was surrounded by SAMCRO. Before we could pull in and park, I watched as Bailey, Ashley, and the Mustang tear out of the parking lot and towards the mall in a hurry. What spooked them?

Tig and Kyle's motorcycles were parked around the side. They were talking about something seriously near a booth towards the front of the diner. My suspicions were getting the best of me as I thought of all the possibilities that could have taken place. Did they do something to Bailey and Ashley?

In front of the guys, I knew I couldn't act on my thoughts. Kip was just as tense as I was, his eyes narrowing towards Tig and Kyle. He sat next to me as the rest of SAMCRO took different seats for our rowdy lunch together. We rarely ate together but some times, after parties, some of us would eat at the diner. I pulled my phone out under the table and texted Bailey: _Hey Bailey, are you ok? What happened?_

Happy took a seat on my other side, not saying a word about last night even though I was grateful for him. He had made sure that Bailey was out of danger when I needed to handle my business. After the waitress dropped off the food and checks, I grabbed his bill before he could and paid it along with mine. An honorable move, one Happy was pleased with. He hardly ever paid for his own meals. The jobs he did for the club earned him that right. One of the guys always took care of him.

Bailey didn't respond while I quickly ate the rest of my food so I sent another text: _I'm so sorry. Please text me when you get a chance._ I wanted to give her all the space she needed but I couldn't help thinking that she was hurting because of Kyle and Tig.

I frowned as I waited, far too long for her response. Surely she wouldn't avoid me forever right? Thankfully her text came through right then:_ I'm fine. Be at my house at 630 for dinner._ The message was short. To curt to be normal for her. I frowned again as I pondered all the reasons why she would be mad at me.

We all clamored back onto our bikes and drove back to Teller-Morrow. It wasn't until I got there that I received another text from her: _Hey Juice, can you get Kip to come to dinner? Ashley really likes him._

I grinned, Bailey took care of my job for me. He had his foot in the door. _Yeah of course. Can I bring anything or help?_ Even though I hadn't had much of a formal upbringing, I knew how to be a gracious guest.

I was really looking forward to going to dinner but what if her father wanted to chop my balls off? That was the main reason for my offer to help. Of course she responded:_ Nope. You don't have to do anything :)_

Shaking my head, I took of to find Kip. He was sweeping out the stalls in the garage. "Hey man, I got you in. Dinner's at 6:30. You better look fresh."

He jumped at least three feet off the ground in joy. "Goddamn man, how'd you pull it off?"

Chuckling, I held up my phone with the text pulled up, "Seems as certain girl has a thing for you."

He hugged me and pounded my back. "Yes! I knew it!"

"You better wearing something a little more conservative and nice." I said as I tugged at his raggedy appearance. He laughed and nodded but I wasn't finished, "I know you know something happened at the diner between the girls and Kyle and Tig."

His smile turned into a frown quickly, "Yeah. Let's go press Kyle."

I nodded and we set off across the lot to where Kyle was cleaning up the clubhouse. I got there first, grabbing his cut and pushing him to the wall, "Listen here Hobart." I roared, "We know you did something to the girls today in the diner."

He shrugged, "I don't know what you're talking about."

Kip growled low in his throat, his fists clenching into tight balls as Kyle smirked. "If you touched them…"

"What's it to you guys? Just some high school girls. You could have all the croweaters you want…" He continued.

I pulled him away from the wall and then slammed him back into it. "You better back the fuck off. Those girls are off limits and you know it."

Kyle groaned, "Alright alright. Tig and I were just hassling them. We thought they were just some sweetbutts that were trying to break into the ranks. I swear we didn't touch them…"

Before I could threaten him any more, Kip shoved me back and sucker punched him, "If you ever try anything ever again, you're gonna wish we put you out of your misery today."

I grabbed Kip and we both left Kyle to think about what we said. The rest of our afternoon was spent finishing up our chores and repo runs. Kip couldn't stop going on and on about how beautiful he thought Ashley was and how much fun tonight would be. I only laughed, he didn't know Bailey's father.

The day flew by. 5:00 crept up quickly on us and we went home to shower and change. I told Kip I'd pick him up so we'd ride together without our bikes. After picking up some flowers from the grocery store, I went to his house and honked for him to get in the truck. I could feel how nervous he was as he climbed in. I felt the same way.

I tried to warn Kip as best I could while we made our way to Bailey's house. He nodded and shook of my words, too excited that Ashley liked him to care. We walked up to the front door and rang the bell, shifting our weight as we waited. I heard footsteps and then a pause and giggling before the two girls opened the door. Kip and I's jaws dropped, nearly hitting the floor. Some how they were more stunning than yesterday. The brief glimpse we had seen of them earlier today didn't do them justice.

Before we could make a move, her father walked by, giving us a look but his words were friendly. I slowly moved forward and kissed Bailey's cheek. Ashley on the other hand, flew to Kip and hugged him, nearly knocking them both over. I wanted to make sure she wasn't hurting from Tig and Kyle but she waved it off. Clearly she didn't want me to worry about it but the fact that she was protecting me from it was what concerned me.

I couldn't let her think the way she was. But I decided to let the topic drop anyways. I handed her the flowers for her mom and the smile on her face was dazzling. She and Ashley led us to the kitchen where I presented her mom with the flowers. That's when I saw where Bailey got her good looks. Her mother's face glowed with joy and surprise before turning back to the amazing smelling food she was cooking.

Ashley and Bailey brought the dishes to the table while her mother finished up in the kitchen. Her father was watching us carefully from his seat at the head of the table. He didn't say a word and seemed to be a little more open to us, however he was not quite happy that we were there.

The food was delicious, absolutely mouthwatering. Then, dinner got more interesting. Bailey's father was actually apologizing for judging us before getting to know us. After he explained his reasoning, I completely understood. Plus he actually invited us to come back to his home. It felt like life couldn't get any better.

Bailey's father nearly burst in fury when he caught Bailey and I smiling at each other but Kip jabbed his elbow into my side. Luckily, Kip managed to impress Bailey's father by mentioning his plans to go into the army. It took a load of tension out of the room. But, I felt jealous that Kip got the approval and I didn't.

When dinner ended, I insisted on helping to clear the table. I would do anything for Bailey's parents to accept of me. Together, Kip, Ashley, Bailey, and I, all helped clean up the kitchen. Just as we finished, her mom offered us dessert. We were shocked, not expecting more wonderful food.

The smell of brownies wavered through the air. Kip and I dug in fast, downing several while Bailey's parents went into the backyard and Bailey and Ashley took one each. We couldn't get enough of the delectable treats. Before we knew it, more than half the pan was gone and Bailey and Ashley were in the other room.

I nudged Kip, wanting to go join the girls. After cleaning up the mess we made, we hurried to sit next to them. Ashley had picked one of the most romantic movie ever created. I'd suffer through it if it would make Bailey happy. Kip had the same mindset, because he insisted this was fine.

Before we could get more invested in the movie, I knew I needed to clear the air. I asked Bailey to come outside with me to talk about what happened. We took seats on the small wicker love seat on the porch. I was hesitant to start but I needed to say the words.

She looked at me with question in her eyes and I knew I had to speak soon. "So… uh… I just wanted to talk to you." I gulped as I tried to come up with the words, Bailey slid her hand into mine, trying to help me relax. "I know what Kyle and Tig did to you and Ashley today." I blurted out softly. Bailey looked away and took her hand from mine, crossing her arms over her chest in a defensive manner. I blew out my breath, "I just want to apologize and make sure you're doing ok…" She wouldn't look at me or speak to me. "Please, say something Bailey…"

I watched as she pulled her knees up and wrapped her arms around them. Her head was positioned away from me but I heard her whisper, "Why did they do it?"

Wanting to do something to make her feel better, I rubbed my hand over her back, softly making circles, "They just don't trust outsiders. They'll come around and leave us alone soon."

She whimpered inaudibly and then spoke haltingly, "I'm fine. Just… today was… a little scary."

My arms worked their way around her and hauled her almost all the way into my lap. "Those guys are assholes and I will never let them scare you again. Promise."

She simply leaned into me, resting her head against my shoulder. I let her sit in silence and hoped she absorbed my strength and words. Bailey burrowed deeper into my arms and I barely heard her say, "I'm glad you're not like them."

I smiled into her hair, "Me too." It was getting late and chilly, her arms were getting cold. I slowly rubbed my hands up and down to warm her up a little bit but she still shivered.

My ears perked up as I heard motorcycles thunder down the street. I held Bailey tighter to me and tried to turn and keep her hidden from the street. My eyes widened as I watched two Mayans drive by. One had the nerve to point towards us, clearly trying to send a message. Shit, I knew this Mayan beef was far from over.

Bailey squirmed in my arms, "Who was that?" Her fear was evident in her voice.

Without answering her, I grabbed my phone and texted Bobby and Kip: _This Mayan problem is a BFD. They just did a no gun drive by on Bailey's house. Something's going to go down._

"Let's just get inside." I got up and half carried her inside.

She was confused, "What is going on?" I knew I didn't have the answers and I couldn't tell her the truth.

"Nothing, just… ugh. Ok look, the club I'm in has a rival and those guys are a part of it. They try to intimidate people that are close to us to rattle our cage." I was trying to be vague, give her some relief but not scare her off with the truth.

Her eyes were huge, her body shaking, "Are you sure? Because this seems…"

"Everything will be fine, don't worry. Let's just go watch the movie and relax." I pressed my lips to her cheek and pulled her back to Kip and Ashley. I made sure she was comfortable next to me, putting my arm around her in a soothing manner.

Kip looked at me questioningly, letting me know he got my text. Bailey never seemed to settle back into me the way Ashley was pressing into Kip. She had moved closer to me but her body was still a little tense. I held her the best I could, trying to impart love and tenderness into her.

The movie ended and Bailey's mom politely told us to leave. My hand reached up to stroke Bailey's cheek lightly, "You know I like you a lot right?" I whispered. When she nodded and looked into my eyes, I thought my chest would rip open. I gently kissed her lips, staking claim on her while assuring her I wasn't lying.

The back door slammed and I put a little space between us. Ashley and Bailey walked us to the front door when Kip asked them to hang out tomorrow. We found out Ashley was going home but that didn't stop him, he pleaded for breakfast. I wanted to kiss Bailey again but Kip's hand wrapped around a part of my shirt and yanked me out the door after him. Looking over my shoulder, I saw Bailey's father standing there, looking extremely pissed off. I gulped and hoped he wouldn't go back on his word for us to come over whenever.

As I dropped Kip off, he ran his hand through his hair, "Look bro, we've got to be careful. What if the Mayans are gearing up for something big? Tomorrow, we've got to get Clay in on this. Jax can't handle this anymore."

I nodded, "Great idea. Man, you should have seen the look on her face. She was pale as a ghost."

He frowned, "At least she's scared. Worst thing would be if she was fearless." I agreed, he had a point, "Alright, I gotta get to bed. How about this: text Bailey that we'll pick them up at 8:30 and I'll pick you up at 8:15. Are you gonna be at your house or Gemma's?"

I gave him a small smile, "Gemma's. See you tomorrow."

He got out and waved before disappearing into his house. My thought ran rampant through my head as I drove back to Gemma's. I knew he was right. Clay needed to know about this. As I laid down in bed, I worried about Bailey and what the Mayans were planning. I had never felt this scared about something in my life.

I texted Bailey: _Hey Bailey, I'm sorry I didn't get to say goodnight. I hope you sleep well. I'll pick you up at 830 ok?_

My eyes closed for a minute but snapped back open when my phone went off: _I can't wait :) Goodnight._

I somehow fell asleep even though my brain was churning. The nightmare I fell into left me sleepless, tossing and turning. I dreamt that Bailey was taken from me, leaving with a gaping hole in my chest. The fucking Mayans were going to hurt her and I couldn't let that happen.

By the time 7:45 rolled around, I had been up for hours. Kip texted me and told me he was on his way. I groaned and went to splash water on my face. My eyes were puffy and had shadowy bags below them. The first thought that popped in my head was: I look like shit. Next thought: I need to shave. I hadn't shaved my head in over a week, just for Bailey and her parents. It was worth it but it was about to drive me crazy.

Getting dress quickly, I hustled out to Kip's waiting Jeep. As I settled in, I texted Bailey: _Hey Bailey, just making sure you guys are ready, we'll be there in 15._

Kip looked awake and chipper while I was half asleep and feeling miserable. He noticed but seemed like he didn't want to comment. After a few long minutes, he spoke, "Dude, you look terrible."

"I didn't sleep much." I grumbled.

"That much is obvious. What's wrong?"

I frowned and scrubbed my hand over my face, rubbing at my eyes, "I couldn't stop thinking about the Mayans and the look on Bailey's face."

He nodded but the only support he offered was: "Well, we will talk to Clay today. Right after breakfast."

I couldn't agree more. We bumped fists as we pulled up to Bailey's house. Both girls were ready and wide-awake. The moment I saw Bailey, it was like a jolt of caffeine. I smiled at her and saw her giddy smile back. This was real and it was happening.

In the car on the way to the diner, I felt Bailey staring at me. I turned and looked back at her. She was studying me and I found it so sexy. Suddenly I was overcome with guilt. The dirty thoughts I was thinking about her was unfair and obscene. I smiled back at her as I tried to clear my head.

We all slid into a booth and I put my arm around her, wanting to touch her and make sure she felt safe near me. Of course Kip was whispering something to Ashley and giggling with her but my attention was drawn to Bailey. Her voice was so quiet and sweet, it felt good to hear my name on her lips.

"Juice? Are you going to shave your head again?" She asked.

Running my hand over my head, I could feel the tattoos that lay underneath. "Do you want me to?" I asked, hoping she'd say yes but knowing if she didn't want me to, I probably wouldn't.

She looked me over and then nodded, "I want you to."

Her words were so sincere it broke my heart. "I'll do it tonight then." I smiled at her, so grateful to have such a wonderful girl in my grasp. She accepted me for me, just like I did to her. She was perfect the way she was and I wouldn't change her for the world. But if she snapped her fingers, I'd change myself, though reluctantly. Luckily, she wanted me as is. No change necessary.

After ordering our food, I hesitantly squeezed Bailey's shoulder, "So uh… would you want a ride to school tomorrow?" I asked, wanting her to say yes, wanting to know what it felt like to have her gripping me from the back of my bike.

Her smile brightened the room, "I'd love one."

Kip and Ashley started to make out hungrily, making loud slurping sounds as they explored each other's mouths. Bailey wrinkled her nose but turned her attention downward. I held her close to me, knowing I should reassure her, make sure she wasn't feeling insecure. "I want to take us slow. Do this right, ok? I really like you Bailey." I whispered in her ear.

She turned her face up to mine, grinning back at me, "I'd like that a lot. I like you a lot."

We all ate quickly, finding ourselves hungrier than we thought. I felt Bailey's phone vibrate as she checked her text message. Her whole demeanor changed. I gently caught her attention, "You ok?"

She nodded, turning to Ashley, "Ash? We've go to go soon…"

I frowned, not wanting her to go. I simply got up and went to pay the check as Bailey finished eating and Kip and Ashley kept up with their make out session. The waitress flirted with me but I ignored her. I hurried back to the table and kicked Kip in the shin to get him to stop sucking Ashley's face.

Bailey seemed to be off, like she was upset. I figured it was because her best friend was going home soon. Putting my arm around her shoulders, I tried to be supportive as best I could. All too soon we pulled up to Bailey's house, only to find her father standing on the porch.

After helping Bailey out of the backseat, I held her hand and then lightly brushed my lips against her cheek, "Call me when you get back from the airport." I smiled at her and softly nudged her towards the house, trying my best to not anger her father.

The girls disappeared into the house and Mr. Jones waved at us. A clear signal for us to leave but it was friendly. Kip and I climbed back into the Jeep and drove off. Kip eyes me carefully, "Sorry about breakfast… But uh… Ashley is a great girl."

I rolled my eyes, "Whatever. Come on; let's go to the garage. If we clean up the clubhouse, maybe they'll listen to us about the Mayans."

Kip dropped me off to get my cut and bike before going to his house to do that same. I thought about exactly what I was going to say to Clay, hoping that he'd at least listen to me a little bit. The drive to Teller-Morrow was tortuous as the different possibilities darted through my brain. I couldn't let the Mayans attack Bailey. Even though I just met her, I don't want to imagine a life without her. She was under my skin and I loved it. I know that I'm young but most importantly, I know that she's mine. Mine to protect, to cherish, and to love. How could I let someone get close enough to hurt her?


	13. Nine

**Thank you thank you thank you! For all of your reviews and support! It means so much to me and it definitely keeps motivating me to keep writing.**

**Just a heads up, this is where the story will not be written all in Bailey's voice. This way you will be able to hear how Juice/the club is feeling too, not just Bailey. That way, you'll understand more of the story. **

**PS – there will be more violence in this chapter than the others.**

**Enjoy :)**

**-Jennifer11**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Sons of Anarchy or anything that Kurt Sutter created.**

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><p><span>Juice's POV<span>

As soon as I got to the garage, I ran to find Jax. He was in the clubhouse eating muffins that Bobby had baked for everyone. I tugged at his arm until he followed me outside, "Jax. Something is going on with the Mayans and we've got to tell Clay."

Chewing, he shook his head and spoke with his mouth full, "This is bullshit. Nothing's going to happen."

I grabbed his cut, "I saw them! They drove by Bailey's house last night and sent a message. We have to bring it up. In Church."

His eyes widened, "Shit. Let's go find Clay now."

We took off to find Clay but Tig stopped us, "He's sleeping and I don't think you want to wake him up. Find something better to do for an hour or two."

I groaned, wanting to figure this mess out now. But getting on Clay's bad side wasn't the way to do it. I settled for sitting on my laptop at the bar and researching, trying to see if I could find anything about what the Mayans were doing. Sipping at a mug of coffee and typing, I found nothing. This whole thing was making me itch. My gut reaction was that they were up to something.

Kip came up behind me and made me jump as he whispered, "Hey, you find anything?"

I jerked around; he really was a sneaky bastard. I hadn't heard him walk up and I normally hear everything. "Nothing. But I **know** that something is about to happen."

He nodded, "I believe you. The look on your face says it all."

"We just need Clay to get up and call Church." His eyes went to Bobby and Piney, who were standing near us talking and eating.

I got up and went to Bobby, "Hey uh Bobby… Remember that text I sent you last night?" He nodded and eyed me carefully, "I just think that there's something going on."

Piney chuckled, "That's your problem. You're thinking."

Bobby laughed with him and they elbowed each other. "C'mon Juice. You think they'd be messing with some high schoolers to get at SAMCRO?"

Kip nodded, "Bailey's a target. We're targets."

This only made Piney laugh harder, "This is exactly why we don't let you all fully patch in. You're creating drama out of thin air."

This was getting nowhere. It was clear that none of the patched members were going to take this seriously. I don't even think that Jax would be able to convince them there was a problem. Tapping Kip on the shoulder, I pulled him behind me as we went outside to the garage to start cleaning up a bit.

Pulling out my phone, I glanced at the time; it had only been an hour and a half since we left Bailey and Ashley. Slipping my phone back into my pocket, I wished Bailey got home quick so I could talk to her about being careful. Kip and I started sweeping out the stalls as we watching the other guys drink coffee or beer outside the clubhouse. There was still a nagging feeling gnawing on my soul.

Just as Kip and I were about to go try to talk to Jax again, my phone rang. It was Bailey. "Hey Bailey. Are you back yet?"

All I heard was static and her trying to tell me something. "Juice… Need… Car… You…"

I frowned as I tried to move to the middle of lot to get better reception, "Bailey, I can't hear you. Where are you? Are you alright?"

The phone was cutting out too badly and then all I heard was the beeps of the failed call. I turned to see Kip right next to me, nervous as hell. "What's going on?"

I shook my head, "She was trying to ask me something but I couldn't hear. I think she needs me. I'm gonna go…"

He cut me off, "Go do your thing. I'll find Jax."

The panic stirring inside me was too much to bear. I sprinted back to my laptop and pulled up a program to hack into a satellite feed. Typing furiously, I tracked her phone, trying to figure out where she was and what was happening to her. After a few minutes, I managed to pull up a tracking map. The little dot that was her phone signal was moving along Highway 16 at a fast pace, away from Charming.

Needing more information, I dug deeper. I pulled up satellite map of the area and scrolled until I found her car parked on the side of the road. She was nowhere near it. Frowning, I typed some more to find video feed from a surveillance camera, hoping to hack into the CHP for a couple of their traffic cams. I had to switch back and forth between a few cameras to get what I needed but I finally managed to spot her.

What I found made me want to vomit. "Oh no no no… Holy Fuck! HELP! I need help!" I screamed as I watched Bailey on the phone with me, then start walking along the side of the highway, and finally being attacked.

I couldn't hold back the emotion that surged through my veins. Most of the guys had gathered around me as I froze. Clay elbowed his way through, "What are you yelling about?" He asked in a raspy, angry voice. Clearly the commotion and I had woken him up.

Clicking around, I played back the video feed. We all watched as Bailey's car slowed, she got out, called me, grabbed her things, and started walking away from her car. The next camera angle showed a motorcycle pulling up next to her and a man with no cut attack her. A black van pulled up and several men jumped out, all without clear markings. My eyes clouded as I saw her get thrown into the back of the van.

The guys were all fuming as they saw burly men pull a bag over her head and load Bailey into the van. While most of members didn't know her, but I knew her and I needed their help. "Please, Clay. Please help me." I turned to him, not hiding the terror on my face.

"Someone tell me the whole damn story." Clay demanded.

I was too choked up but Bobby stepped in to help. "That girl is Juice's. They've been together for a couple weeks. Him and Kippy told me about a couple of Mayan threats but I didn't think they were serious…"

"Clearly they were!" I roared, wanting to pound his face in. Before I could take a step forward, someone held me back.

"Alright alright. Bobby, Juice, Opie, Jax, Kip, and Kyle get in the Chapel. Now! Happy, Tig, and Chibs: go pick up the girl's car and check for any traces or clues. Go!" Clay ordered, making us all spring into action.

Kip and Opie nearly had to drag me there as Jax carried my laptop with him. Kyle walked slowly behind us as Bobby waited for Clay. I was furious and I wanted to tear the place down. Why hadn't I gone with them to Sacramento? If I had, she'd be safe right now. I never had a chance to tell her how I _really_ feel.

The boys pushed me into a chair and then took seats around me. Bobby and Clay entered, the door slamming shut behind them. "Why the fuck did no one tell me this earlier?" Clay snarled.

Bobby stood silent, clearly guilty for holding back. Kyle sat against the wall in the guest chairs while Opie, Jax, and Kip sat at the table with me, looking apologetically towards me. They knew how I felt; it's how they would have felt if it were their girls. My knuckles were going white from gripping the armrests of the chair. Why were we just sitting here? Bailey was alone, scared, and helpless.

Standing up and throwing my car against the wall, I scowled at Clay, "It doesn't matter. Can we please find her?"

Clay glared at me and spat out, "Why is it that all you children are the ones always being a pain in my goddamn ass?"

Jax decided to finally speak up, "Clay, you know that the Mayans have always used their young guys to start something. Plus you know they're the only pussies willing to use women in the middle of a turf war."

We all knew that Jax was speaking the truth. Clay started pacing around the table, "Ok ok. Juice? Is there any way you can find where they are?"

I nodded but I was having trouble getting the image of Bailey being tackled and manhandled. "I can…" I said quietly.

Clay and Bobby left, while Jax, Opie, and Kyle went to go make sure no one else needed help. Kip stayed by my side, "Don't worry man. We'll get her back."

"I hope so. Her dad is gonna chop my balls off if she's hurt." I grabbed my laptop and pulled it closer, minimizing the windows before pulling up a new one to track her phone, hoping those assholes didn't find it yet.

Bailey's POV

When I slowly woke up finding myself in a large dark, musky, and hot room. It seemed like a basement but I couldn't quite focus on my surroundings. My eyes fluttered as I tried to get my bearings. I licked my lips as I tried to piece together exactly how and what happened. Those men. They wore 'cuts' like the boy who tried to rape me. Thank goodness they didn't gag me but as my senses came around, I found that I couldn't move.

My shoulders were sore and I couldn't move my hands. My arms were raised above my head, tied together with rope with a hook slid between them, keeping me in place. I couldn't stop the panic and bile rising in my throat.

Squirming, I tried to get my hands high enough to lift them off the hook. As I did, I realized that my ankles were tied together and to the chair I was forced to sit on. Straining, I found that my arms were stretched so tightly that I wouldn't be able to escape on my own. Tears sprang into my eyes, as I looked frantically around me. Who were those men and why did they kidnap me? More importantly, what could I do to make sure I survived?

A very loud _BANG!_ sounded behind me and a light was turned on. I tried to turn to see but with the way I was sitting, there was no way I could move. Biting my lip, I tried not to whimper as heavy footsteps came towards me. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up as I felt a hand brush against my shoulder. Squinting, I tried to see who was in the room with me but the single, swinging light bulb hanging from the ceiling made it very difficult.

"Don't worry, princesa. We don't want to hurt you… yet." A thick Spanish accent rolled through the air.

I tried to shake the hand off of me then I became aware that another person was in the room with us. Another man spoke with the same accent, "Now why would a chica like you be attracting the attention of those matones?" When I didn't answer him, his hand stroked gently against my cheek. "It seems we have a phone call to make, hermosa."

One of them grabbed the chair and turned it, the legs scrapping on the floor. Fear gripped me as I swung around to face the door and the two men. For a moment, I thought the chair would tip over and my wrists, arms, and shoulders would be dislocated. The chair finally settled and I breathed a small sigh of relief only to see that I was in deep trouble.

While the first man stood with his arms crossed, the other held up my phone and was calling someone. His lips turned up into a smirk as he held the phone to my ear. Who was he dialing? My question was answered very quickly when I heard Juice's voice.

Juice's POV

The little blue dot was still traveling down the highway towards Lodi. It had to be the Mayans, right? My gut felt so tight that it was going to tear me apart at the seams. Why did they take her?

How could I sit here watching this dumbass dot on this screen when I should be out turning up every rock? Typing as fast as I could, I looked for any 'safe houses' that the Mayans may own but came up with nothing. Suddenly the blue dot turned flashing green. Before I could figure out what that meant, my phone rang.

Looking at the screen I saw it was Bailey's phone. Kip sat on the edge of his seat as he watched me answer it. "Bailey? Are you ok? Where are you?" I demanded, not able to keep the worry or alarm from my voice.

"Juice, I…" I heard her cry out, trying to warn me of something. Before she could even start, I heard the unmistakable sound of flesh on flesh and her alarmed shriek.

"Callate concha." Was all I could make out over the receiver.

"Go get Clay." I shoved Kip out of the room as the tension in my body rose and my gut twisted painfully. My ears strained to hear any sound from her. "Bailey? Bailey!" I bellowed out. Clay, Bobby, Kip, and Jax came rushing in all with rattled looks on their faces. Quickly hitting speaker phone, I waited to hear something, any thing.

"Wassup pendejo?" We finally heard a thick accented man murmur over the phone. "Found us a little present out on 16. First number in the puta's phone happened to be yours." He chuckled wickedly over the phone.

My teeth grit together as I listened and finally ground out, "You better not touch a hair on her head."

Clay smacked me upside the head, only making me more heated as I glared around the room. "What do you want, _Mayan_?" He spat out and grabbed the phone from my hand. The door was thrown open as Tig, Chibs, Happy, Kyle, and Opie entered, just in time to hear the rest of the call.

"Oh no no no, you've misunderstood cabron. We just want things to be fair. Equal." As he paused, we could hear small, feminine whines filling the air. "You see… this us sending a message. She's a real nice pedazo de culo." Another pained yelp from Bailey rang out before the line went dead.

They were hurting her and they were taunting us. "Shit." Clay growled. He wouldn't look at me as he tossed the phone onto the table.

It took both Jax and Kip to hold me back as I shot out of the chair, "What are we going to do?" I demanded loudly.

All eyes were on Clay as we waited breathlessly for orders, "Go there and get her back." He huffed, putting his hands on his hips, clearly not happy about being pulled into this mess. "No girl's blood with be on our hands. Piney, Opie, and Bobby: stay here and watch the place. Juice: get us an address. Chibs: you're driving the van with the young ones. Everyone else: bikes. Let's roll out!"

Bailey's POV

As soon as I heard Juice's concern, I knew I had try to tell him who was holding me captive. Before I could get more than two words out, the man with his arms crossed, slapped my cheek, his hands as fast as lightning. I wanted to scream and say more to Juice but he covered my mouth with his hand. It was hard to breathe, my cheek was burning, and my eyes were filling with tears.

Even though I was trying to listen to the conversation and try to understand what they wanted from me, I couldn't ignore the man touching me. I tried to thrash and get away but he only held me stronger. His hand was rough on my jaw, smashing down firmly while his other hand gripped a knife in front of me. I stilled while the other man finished his speech by signaling his partner. The knife slashed out and cut my thigh, pain searing through my skin as I screamed and watched the blood seep through my jeans.

My eyes watched light dancing off the knife and blood dripping off the blade. The man who held my phone immediately whipped it at the wall, shattering it into a million pieces. I opened my mouth to protest only to be slapped again.

"It's ok, mi amor. I don't want to kill you… yet. Let's see if lover boy told you anything first…" His teeth flashed evilly as the knife lightly traced my clothing.

I shook my head, "He didn't. I don't know anything! Please, you have to believe me!" The tears I had tried so hard to hold back were overflowing, leaving trails down my cheeks.

His hand flew out and struck my cheek again, "Now now. There's no need for those tears. Plus, we all know that putas are the best liars. We tend not to trust mujeres." The man twisted his hand in my hair and yanked hard. He pressed the knife against my neck and I could feel it slicing through my tender skin. I gulped, trying to keep my chin up higher to stop him from slitting my throat. "Just tell us what we want to know."

I shook my head, "I don't…"

My hands were unhooked and lowered, "You're going to regret this, bruja." He roughly knocked over the chair, making me land roughly on the dirty floor. They took turns kicking my sides, I slowly started to lose consciousness. The room spun as one spit on me, "You'll tell us eventually." I heard just before I passed out.

Juice's POV

While trying to find the address of where the Mayans were holding Bailey, the blinking blue light of her phone abruptly stopped. It never turned back on. "CLAY!" I shouted as I jotted down the address and then ran out to the lot. "We've got to hurry. I think they just smashed her phone."

"That means they aren't going to contact us again and…" Tig muttered.

Clay roared his frustration, "We needed to be on the road yesterday!"

Everyone kicked their engines into gear, sending Jax, Kip, Kyle, and myself into the waiting van. The drive out of Charming and into the Mayan hood was long, tense, and incredibly agonizing. I knew Bailey was a strong girl but I wasn't sure how long she'd last, not with those monsters.

Less than an hour later, the convoy pulled into the neighborhood and slowed, not wanting to spook the Mayans into anything rash at the sound of the engines. Parking and dismounting, grabbing pistols and shotguns, every member of SAMCRO readied themselves, not sure how many Mayans would be at the house. My nerves nearly got the best of me, I wanted to get Bailey back so badly but this was really dangerous. Good thing I trusted these guys with my life, but I wasn't so sure if I trusted them with hers.

After setting up the perimeter, we all crept slowly towards the doors. The fully patched members went first; Jax, Kyle, Kip, and I followed them. My hand was slick against the stock of the .38 I was holding. We all looked scared, either of the Mayans or the thoughts of what we'd find.

Tig and Happy kicked down the doors as Clay, Chibs, and the rest of us ran in, guns blazing. Several Mayans jumped up from their positions, pulling guns on us and shooting wildly in our direction. Dodging the bullets, we all took cover before Tig, Happy, and Chibs nailed the men shooting at us.

Once the coast was clear, we all spread out to clear the house. Kyle, Kip, Jax, and I slowly crept around the smaller rooms. There was no sign of Bailey anywhere.

Bailey's POV

The sound of bullets hitting wood startled me awake. Trying to take a deep breath, I nearly passed out from the pain taking over my body. My sides ached and burned, my shoulders were stiff, and my leg was sticky with blood. Looking hysterically around the room I saw that I was alone, back to the door again, my arms stretched very high above my head. This time, they took me off the chair but kept my ankles tied together. My whole body was stretched out, making it harder and harder to breathe, I had to stand on my tiptoes to try and stop the pain from spreading.

I whimpered. Extreme fear crossed my mind as I thought that the gunshots I was hearing were those men coming to kill me. I had to get out of here. Each time I tried to struggle and free my hands made me almost pass out again. I was light headed and blackness clouded my eyes, I was seeing spots and slowly slipping back to unconsciousness.

Tears were freely falling, making my breathing even tougher as I thought of all the possibilities. I was going to die here in a dirty basement. Never see Ashley, my parents, or Juice again. Oh Juice. I couldn't blame him for this. It wasn't his fault. It was my own stupidity. I knew he was a bad boy and I fell for him anyways.

Behind me, I heard the door crash open. The battle waging inside of me against the darkness made it difficult to concentrate. I was incredibly winded. I stopped trying to get my hands free it was hopeless anyways. As the light flickered on, all I heard was a sharp inhale of air.

Juice's POV

The guys were pissed, all of them looking at me, waiting for answers. Clay threw a chair into the wall, "What the fuck, Juice!"

Happy and Chibs were still slowly pacing around the house while everyone else seemingly crowded in on me. Tig sneered at me, "You drag us out here for nothing?"

I shook my head, "N-no. I swear…"

Jax put himself in between me and Tig, "Look Juice was only doing what he thought needed to be done. None of you were gonna take this Mayan threat seriously."

"We put our safety on the line for this little tramp…" Tig started.

Before he could get very far and before I could launch myself at him, Chibs stopped us, "Hey! Over here!"

I took of running to him, if he found Bailey, dead or alive, I had to see it with my own eyes. The rest of the guys trailed behind me. Happy stuck out his arm to stop us as he and Chibs stood next to a solid looking door that had been blocked by a bookcase. Seeing as the bookcase was splintered, the knick-knacks were thrown and shattered around the room.

I was itching to get in there but Jax held me back. Chibs pulled open the door as Tig and Happy pointed their pistols into doorframe. We found nothing but stairs leading down. Unable to stop my worries, I knew that if Bailey saw one of the other guys pointing a large gun at her, she'd freak out if she wasn't already. I couldn't take this anymore; the anxiety was about to give me a heart attack.

They were taking too long to get to her. She could be bleeding to death or worse. The thoughts made my skin crawl. Before they could stop me, I pushed my way past them and hurried down the stairs. The members all shouted their warnings, trying to yank me back by my cut. But I wouldn't wait any longer to see her.

Happy was the next one down the stairs to block for me as I descended to the hallway that was buried underneath the house. Chibs and Kip were right behind us. Jax, Clay, Tig, and Kyle stayed in the house and waited, making sure no other Mayans came by to surprise us.

At the bottom of the stairs, I found a very small area. The anger I felt nearly blinded me and I almost missed the steel door across from the stairs. Happy nudged me towards it, holding his .38 up as he motioned for me to open the door. My eyes narrowed as I watched him grimace and his grip tighten on the gun. I wanted to tell him to drop the gun but I knew he had a good reason for it.

Walking slowly to the door, I was a wreck just thinking about what I'd find. Undoing the heavy latch, it took Kip and I to throw the door open. It was a dark, damp room and the smell of blood oozed out. Kip fumbled for a light switch as Happy took a few steps forward to ward off any dangers.

As soon as the one dim bulb sputtered on, I gasped, finding Bailey hanging from her wrists, trying to keep her balance on her toes. Her clothes were covered with dust, I saw a small pool of blood under her shoes, and her head was hanging limply to the side. No one else was in the room and Happy was still walking towards her. I hurried past him, signaling him to stand down.

"Bailey?" I whispered as I got in front of her.

She barely cracked open her eyes to see me, "Juice?" She wheezed hoarsely. Her face was streaked with tears, her cheeks were red, and there was a long cut on her thigh.

Putting my hands on her ribcage, I tried to lift her off the hook that held her upright but she winced and screamed in pain. Only then did I see the boot prints on her shirt. They had kicked her. Son of a bitch! Her ribs could be broken or just bruised but I touched them and made her hurt worse.

She was crying and shaking as I tried to figure out how to get her down. Kip was standing behind me as Happy held his gun towards the door. "Kip, find the lever to get her down." I whispered, shoving him away from us. She was in so much pain it was killing me. "Shh… it's ok baby, I'm here. I'm going to get you down."

Kip was taking too goddamn long and I wasn't about to let her hang here any longer. Wrapping my arms around her waist lightly, I crouched then slid my head between her arms and then stood up, lifting her slightly. The shudder that ran through her body was violent and a pained moan escaped her lips. Her hands slid over the edge of the hook and then she slumped into my body. She clung to me, hugging me tightly with her hands tied behind my neck.

Her breathing was shallow as I slowly lowered us to the floor. Holding her to my chest like my life depended on it. In some ways it did. Her body was shaking like a leaf against me, "Juice…"

I pressed my lips to her temple, "I'm here Bailey. It's ok baby…" I murmured into her ear, hoping to comfort her a little. "You're safe now."

Chibs appeared at my side, "Juicey boy, we got to get her out of here." He reached to take her from me but my grip only tightened around her. "She needs to go to the hospital." He whispered to me, "That cut looks pretty nasty."

I nodded but wouldn't let anyone touch her as I tried to stand. Kip stooped and gently took her legs, helping me pick her up before laying her in my arms so I could carry her up the stairs. When I got to the top, I huffed and glared at Clay and Tig. They were angry but Happy got in front of me, frowning at them to keep them away from me.

Bailey's POV

My tired muscles tensed as I heard multiple sets of boots walking towards me. Giving up my struggles, I pretended to be passed out, hoping the men would leave me alone. It wasn't until I heard Juice's voice that I realized he had come to rescue me. His arms looked so inviting, making me want to be against him. Then I remembered what those men were demanding of me, wanting to know any information about SAMCRO.

I needed Juice to get out of this hellhole but I didn't know what to say to Juice. I was grateful, to say the least that he wanted to save me but I landed here because of my love for him. Love? Yes I guess I did love him. This love could kill me one day.

Juice put his hands on my side to try to lift me off the hook but he pressed on the deep bruises that those men left me with. I couldn't hold back the cry and the blinding pain that seared through me. In the corner of my eye I saw Kip and one other man but my focus was still drawn to Juice.

His arms circled my hips as he held me to him and lifted me off the hook. Trembling, I held onto him, trying to ease the agony I was being tortured with. I felt him kiss my skin, mumble soothing words, but I couldn't think about that. The anguish was too great and I thought I would slip back into that deep tormented sleep.

With my eyes half lidded, I watched as he supported my weight, easily holding me to his chest and taking me upstairs and to a van. Not another van! My whole body quivered as I whimpered my protest. Juice held me tighter as the very angry, very tattooed Happy opened the door for us and crossed his arms to keep the others far away from us. Just as he scrambled into the van, the darkness shrouded my vision, my brain closed off to the world and the pain pushed me into the abyss of unconsciousness.


	14. Ten

**Dearest reader, I am so sorry that it took me so long to update this story and add this new chapter. I've been trying to work extra hard so I have money. ANYWAYS, I'm so excited for season 5 and I'm loving it so far! I hope this extra long chapter makes up for the lack of updates. Enjoy!**

**-Jennifer11**

**Please read and review :)**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Sons of Anarchy or anything that Kurt Sutter created.**

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><p><span>Juice's POV<span>

"Chibs! She passed out!" I shouted as I touched Bailey's cheek, comforting her as best I could but truthfully I didn't know how hurt she really was and it was truthfully scaring me.

"Alright alright!" He roared as he pulled onto the freeway and we flew to St. Thomas.

The rest of the guys jumped on their bikes and followed us. As I cradled Bailey to my chest, running my hands through her hair and down her back, Kip sympathetically untied her hands and feet. He gently folded her arms into her chest and under my arms, as we tried to ease the pain that must have been tormenting her.

"What about her parents…?" I started to question.

Kip was checking her pulse when Jax interjected, "I'll call Unser to get his help to deal with her parents."

Chibs made the trip to Charming in less than thirty minutes and pulled into the ER entrance of the hospital. Kyle threw the door open of the van as Kip and I lifted Bailey out. Several doctors came running out and took her, placing her limp body onto a gurney and wheeled her into the ER.

I ran after her only to be stopped by security. The burly man held out his hand, "Sorry son. This area is family only."

Kip and Chibs grabbed me, pulling me with them to the waiting room. Chibs patted me on the back, "Don't worry, Juicey boy, she'll be alright." But even I knew he wasn't quite sure that was one hundred percent true.

Jax, Opie, and Happy sat down in the waiting room with us before Clay and Tig entered. Chief Unser walked in, "I called the girl's parents. They should be here soon. I don't know how you all want me to spin all of this…"

Clay cleared his throat, "Tell them what happened: she was kidnapped by a gang. That Teller-Morrow was called to pick up her car and we found traces that led you to where she was." His voice got deeper as he gave his real instruction, his word dripping with sarcasm, "But currently your investigation hasn't given you a cause as to why they grabbed her. Meanwhile, we'll all go back to the clubhouse."

The anger bubbling inside of me wanted me to punch something, anything. But I knew I shouldn't. Bailey needed me here and not hurt. "I'm not going anywhere." I grumbled.

Kip, Jax, and Opie all nodded their heads. Happy didn't move a muscle but the look on Tig's and Clay's face said it all. No member of SAMCRO could stay at St. Thomas while this Mayan threat was still out there. We needed to get back to SOA headquarters and figure out how to deal with it. "You're leaving. Now." Clay growled, the tone alone making everyone flinch and get up except Happy and myself.

Unser waited as Jax, Opie, Kip, Chibs, and Tig filed past him. Clay turned to look at me and said in a low voice, "Juice. Look, I'm sorry we didn't listen and I hope she'll be ok. Let me know what we can do." He turned and left the waiting room. He patted Happy on the shoulder as he went.

My eyes glanced at Happy and then Unser, nervous as hell but grateful they were there. I wanted to see her. I wouldn't be satisfied until I could touch her and make sure she wasn't hurt. I just hoped to God she'd forgive me for the pain I caused her. And that her father wouldn't kill me with his bare hands.

_Shit,_ _her father_. Not only would he be pissed I'd let harm come to his daughter, but he's going to see my cut and know I'm a part of a biker gang. It's very doubtful that he'd ever let me see her again and probably wouldn't even let me in to see her today. Shifting uncomfortably, I thought of how her father would likely have his Navy SEAL buddies torture me until he eventually had my balls in his hand. I hung my head, unable to get the image of Bailey dangling in that dark room out of my mind.

"I'll go see how she's doing." Unser said as he went to find a nurse. He must have sensed what I was going through and left Happy and me alone.

Happy, who was sitting on the other side of the waiting room, got up and moved to sit a few seats from me without saying a word. I did my best to absorb his silent strength; he held his anger back while offering me support. He wasn't one to be willing to deal with females or non-club business but he was a man of principle. If something happened that he didn't agree with, he let you know. Happy sitting here with me was he letting Clay know that he thought SAMCRO's President was stupid to ignore the warnings I had tried to give him. Plus, no one ever gave Happy orders or told him what to do. He did whatever he wanted. And right now, he wanted to sit in the hospital waiting room with me and wait for a girl he knew nothing about.

The chief hadn't come back yet fifteen minutes later when Bailey's parents burst into the ER waiting area. Her mom spotted me first, "Juan Carlos… what are you doing here?"

I was uneasy and I hesitated but luckily, Unser came back in, "Are you Mr. and Mrs. Jones?" They nodded, "If you'd take a seat…" He motioned for them to sit across from Happy and me. He waited until they were situated. "Your daughter was attacked and kidnapped. Her car had been abandoned; the Teller-Morrow garage was employed to pick it up, where Juan Carlos and this gentleman found several clues that led us to her. However, we haven't finished our investigation and don't know the reasoning behind her being taken." He took a breath, "I just talked to a nurse. Your daughter was checked out, she should be fine and will need a lot of rest. If you'll come with me, I'll take you to see her."

Bailey's mom was sobbing into her hand and gripping her husband's shirt. The man was stone cold; the only emotion he showed was the betraying glimmer in his eyes. I wanted desperately to go with them but I wasn't sure if her parents would let me. I simply sat with my hands folded in my lap, staring at my fingers.

I knew that Happy's eyes were meticulously following the movement in the room even though he didn't move his head. Her parents got up and left, looking back and forth between the two of us, Mr. Jones' eyes glaring at my cut. I knew what they must have been thinking and were kicking themselves for letting their daughter be with a gang member. Inside, I was beating myself up for letting her go anywhere alone.

After Unser and the Jones' left, Happy lightly kicked my foot with his boot, "It's not your fault." He rasped out. He had known what I was thinking? Happy was one strange dude, an enigma to us all. I was definitely glad he was on my side, the man was lethal when provoked or when he thought someone was in danger. My teeth caught my lower lip as I impatiently waited for the chance to go see her.

Bailey's POV

I woke up, laying in an unfamiliar place. Anxiety spread through me, "Wh-" I heard a loud beeping getting quicker and quicker. I couldn't control my breathing and each breath tore through me, leaving me in more pain than before.

The door flew open and someone wearing scrubs entered, "It's ok sweetheart, don't worry… You're in the hospital…" She spoke in soft tones as she petted my hand and smoothed my hair while checking my vitals. "You're parents will be here soon. We just need you to stay calm. Do you know what happened to you?" I bit my lip, not saying a word to the woman. She looked nice enough but I was ashamed, truly embarrassed about being taken, hurt, and being so vulnerable.

My lungs weren't fully expanding in my chest and I knew it, I was getting dizzy from taking such short breaths. The nurse must have noticed too because she clicked a button on the stand below the saline and blood bags, morphine burned through my hand and into my veins. I could feel my body relax and taking in air became slightly easier.

I couldn't let my parents see me like this. They were probably already blaming Juice for what happened to me today. I'd never get to see him and I'd never get to tell him how I feel. With the morphine spreading and my mind foggy, I barely had time to groan out: "I don't want to see my parents. Please promise me you won't let them in here." Before slipping into the medically induced slumber.

Juice's POV

I sat staring at the wall, desperately waiting, praying that her father wouldn't barge into the waiting room and lay into me right now. I knew that Happy wouldn't let that happen but I wouldn't let Happy hurt Mr. Jones either. We hadn't seen Unser or any doctors or nurses. I wanted to ask Happy what he thought I should do, but thought better of it.

Just when I started to rethink everything and was about to ask Happy, I saw her parents storm back in. Unser was right behind them, "Look I'm sorry. I can't change the nurses minds."

Mr. Jones looked even more pissed than when I first met him. "You're the goddamn chief of police! You should be able to out rank them and force them to let us in! She's my daughter for Christ sake."

Mrs. Jones simply sat down and was muttering to herself, "This isn't like Bailey. She loves us…"

I sat up quickly, knowing she was laying in that bed alone, scared because of me. When I actually thought about what was going on, I realized there should have been no reason for her to deny her parents entrance to her hospital room. The Bailey I knew would have been begging for them to be there with her. Something else must be wrong for her to seal herself off from them.

Launching out of my chair I was in front of Unser in a flash. I got right up in his face, "What's wrong? Something has to be wrong."

Unser looked me over, his eyes narrowing. Clearly he knew that I was involved with her, "I can't discuss this with you. There's a pending investigation."

I sighed, exasperated, "Can you at least go ask? Her parents are worried, they deserve to know why they can't see her."

The look on his face was hard to decipher but I saw the hint of his concern, "I'll see what I can do." He turned and went to find a doctor to talk to.

Mr. Jones didn't move but Bailey's mother got up and hugged me, "Thank you." She whispered to me. I heard the soft growl that left the man glaring at me. He was pissed and must have put two and two together. Happy shifted to cross his arms and carefully watch the activities in the room.

Unser's POV

After getting a call from Jax that left me with a million questions but I did as I was asked. Finding the phone number in the Charming PD database, I dialed on my cell phone and jumped into my cruiser. Shifting into gear and heading to the hospital, I waited for an answer. A woman answered on the fifth ring, "Hello is this Mrs. Jones?"

"It is, yes, can I ask who's calling?" She sounded like she was having a nice, relaxing Sunday.

"Wayne Unser, Chief of Charming Police." I answered simply but I knew that would freak her out more.

I could hear the panic creep up in her throat. "How can I help you sir?"

"I hate to do this over the phone but unfortunately your daughter is at St. Thomas, can you meet me there?" I tried to say as calmly as I could.

Her grief was evident in her voice, "Yes. My husband and I will be right there. Is she alright?"

"They are checking her out now. But as soon as I hear anything, I will let you know." I replied, not sure myself what exactly had happened.

When I walked into the ER, Clay and his entire motorcycle club greeted me. _This is just great. They're involved. How the hell am I going to tell her parents that the Sons knew what happened to her? Now I gotta get this whole investigation started._

Clay demanded that I leave them out of it while telling them that she was kidnapped. The look in his eye told me that they knew who done it but weren't going to tell me so they could take care of the problem, revenge style. _This wasn't going to be easy, hell being on their payroll never was. _

The president made most of the men leave but Juice and the stoic Happy noticeably stayed put. _They wouldn't make things much easier for me. If I remember correctly, her father was a former Navy SEAL? His daughter must be his pride and joy. This was going to make everything even more difficult._

Going to get the run down from a doctor or nurse, I left the two to sit and wait. We had to follow procedure no matter how much Clay thought he was in charge of everything Charming. One nurse seemed to be less busy, just filling out paperwork at her station so I approached her, "Excuse me Miss, can you help me find a patient?"

"Name?"

"Uh… Bailey Jones?" Not sure why I was so nervous, it was probably due to the fact that SAMCRO was involved and I had no clue how.

"Of course, she's in room 1127. She's asleep right now but she's been looked over and will be just fine. Her wrists have been treated and bandaged from the extent of the rope burns. The deep cut on her leg has been stitched up and we have to watch it for infection. Now her ribs: one is broken, she has two cracked on each side, and the bruising is going to be extremely painful. We need to keep her slightly sedated or else her pain will be intolerable."

I nodded, "Was she… taken advantage of?"

"There was a rape kit done, it came back negative. If you need anything else, come find me." She said before leaving.

_Well at least her innocence wasn't taken from her but I'm still worried that the girl wouldn't bounce back from this. Who knows what those men threatened her with?_ I need to get in there and actually talk to her about what happened but she was sedated and out cold. This was adding to the already large pile shit I had to deal with.

Deciding I could question her later, I went back to the waiting room to ask the Sons if they knew anything. Just as I made it outside the room, I heard a woman called Juice by his real name. _Her parents must have arrived and now I had to go give them the bad news._

The wife looked like her whole world was falling apart but the husband was steely eyed and didn't even flinch. _Maybe I got the whole dynamic wrong. Maybe he had wanted a son when he got a daughter. Or maybe that's just how he reacted to bad news. _When he got up to follow me, I saw the trace of sadness, pain, worry, and fury in his eye.

I led them to the room but before I could get within 10 feet, another nurse appeared out of thin air. "I'm sorry but Miss Jones requested that no one visit her." The woman stood between the door, and us essentially blocking it.

"I'm the Charming Chief of Police." I said dumbly.

"I don't care if you're our Lord and Savior himself, you ain't getting in that room." She crossed her arms and stared.

"But these are her parents." I responded, getting angrier with this woman.

"I'm sorry Mr. and Mrs. Jones but your daughter is resting and needs time to recuperate. If she gets riled up it will cause her more pain. We've bandaged the rope burns on her wrists, the wound on her leg has been stitched, but we're worried about her ribs. One is broken, four are cracked, and the bruising around her chest is pretty bad. That's why we have to keep her a little sedated. When she wakes up I'll let her know that you're here and ask if she wants to see you."

Her father at this point was even more frustrated than I was, "She's underaged and shouldn't be left alone like this. I want to see my daughter. _Now_! And if you won't let me, I'd like to speak to your supervisor." His voice was stern, unrelenting towards the nurse.

"I know you think this is how it works, _sir_, but at St. Thomas the patient is in charge. Especially one who has been through what your daughter has. Being a 'special victim', we tend to let then tell us when it's ok. So you can go back to the waiting room and we will let you know when she's awake." Turning to me, she frowned, "I expected more from you. One of your deputies can guard the door but no one gets in without her say so."

She waited until we all turned before going back to her station, right outside Bailey's door. _Shit, these parents are going to be so mad and I'm going to have to deal with it._ Her father fumed through the hallway, wife in tow as he went back to the waiting room. Juice and Happy hadn't moved much, both anxious and jittery.

Once we stopped walking, her father turned and was about to get in my face about not being allowed to see his daughter. Hearing what was going on, Juice immediately jumped out of his chair, answering my question as to how the Sons were involved. _He has a thing for the girl. _He wanted me to go try again with the pain in the ass woman that was stopping me from getting into that room.

The damn kid didn't know what we had just been through but I gave up and went to go try again. _Too bad groveling wasn't on my job description_. I went back to the nurse's station to find the woman frowning at me.

"Is there anyway at least her mother can go in?" I nearly begged. Only to get a head shake back. "Fine, I'll be waiting. I got an investigation to do, you know."

She dismissed me before going to check on a few patients including Bailey. I groaned and sat down in a chair in the hall to wait for any news.

_Bailey's Dream_

_I jerked awake, only to find myself in that dark room, laying on a table, hands tied together above my head, and my feet bound to separate corners. The man in the room slowly walked circles around me, like a hunter. He was just waiting, simply terrorizing me as his shoes scuffed along the dirt covered cement. I tried to scream for help but his hand quickly clamped down on my mouth and throat._

"_Such a pretty bitch. Too bad you won't be for much longer." His hand kept my head pressed against the table as I felt the distinctive touch of cool metal on my skin and then a breeze of warm air._

_The knife he held was easily slicing through my clothing, letting it all fall away from my body. Trembling under the sharp pressure of the blade, I whimpered into his hand. Tears were starting to spill down my cheeks and I couldn't breathe properly. Where was Juice? If he was my boyfriend then why wasn't he here, protecting me? All I could think about was Juice and how badly I needed him by my side._

_The man raised the knife above his head and then rammed it back down towards me. I shrieked but he missed, the knife landed between my legs, wedging itself into the thick wood. Sweat beaded on my skin, my pulse racing as his hands stroked across my bare flesh. I squirmed but couldn't shake him. _

"_That boy of yours won't want you once you've been violated… Once we're through with you, no one will want you…" His smirk was haunting and disturbing. He continued groping me and then his lips lowered towards mine…_

Bailey's POV

Just before his lips touched mine, I jerked awake, gasping for air. My body was shaking and I was covered in sweat. No one was in the room with me; the nurse had actually listened to my medicated plea. My sides were burning and aching, pain getting worse with each breath. Finally laying back, I started sobbing silently, trying to escape any more pain but it was unavoidable.

The door opened and I flinched, turning away and trying to hide a bit under the covers. "Don't worry dear, I'm not going to hurt you, I just want to make sure you're ok. And to let you know your parents are here…" The nurse spoke in calm, soothing tones.

She tried to touch me but I yanked away, curling myself into a tight ball. Protecting myself from this woman who had no intention of hurting me. When I moved, my ribcage felt like it was being torn, muscle stretching too far. Wincing, the woman gently helped ease me onto my back as I cried out in immense pain.

"You can't move too much Miss Jones, it'll only hurt worse. I know you're going through a rough time right now but you need someone here to talk to. Talking heals the soul, sweetie. If you tell me someone you feel comfortable with, someone you trust, I will get them for you." She smiled softly at me.

Shaking my head, I just wanted to be alone. To be able to think. But every time I tried, I couldn't do anything but think about being in that room again and even worse things happening to me. Besides the pain I was in, I couldn't breathe. I needed fresh air. Somehow I doubt that the nurse would let me out of bed.

_How is it that I didn't even want my parents here? Thinking about their love felt stifling, like they would be hovering if they were in this small room with me. The more I thought about it, the more I knew what I needed. Juice. Him, in my room, now._

"Um…?" I tried to call out just before she left the room. My throat was hoarse and sore but not as much as my sides were when I spoke. I groaned in pain but the woman turned and came back to me, question on her face. "Juan… Carlos… Ortiz…My…" I managed to wheeze out as the pain took over.

After clicking up the morphine again, the nurse smiled and nodded, knowing exactly what I meant. She turned, hurrying out of the room, leaving me to sit and try to get comfortable but I knew it was impossible. The room was starting to grow fuzzy as I slipped under again.

Juice's POV

Happy was slumped in his chair but I was still sitting attentive, watching for any movement in the hallway. Bailey's mother was still crying silently as her hand gripped her husband's. Though he was another story, Mr. Jones was fidgeting yet still, anger radiated from him but his eyes were the only hint at his sadness.

Unser had come by to tell us that his deputy would be sitting outside of her room waiting while he went to work on the investigation. That had been two hours ago. Bailey must have been so hurt, physically and emotionally_. If her father ever let me see her, would she want to talk to me?_

Mr. Jones looked up at me, "If the Chief is going, shouldn't you be getting on your way too?"

Happy seemed to stiffen next to me but with a slow motion of my hand, I waved him off. "Sir, I know you just want her to be ok and she will be. Just let us stay. Please?"

His eyes glared a hole into my chest. But before he could say anything more, a nurse walked into the room causing both of Bailey's parents to stand up quickly. "Miss Jones has woken up but she only wants to see a Juan Carlos Ortiz?" The second I heard my name, I got out of my chair. _She actually wanted to see me?_

Mr. Jones swore under his breath while Mrs. Jones' head snapped towards me. Her features were soft and frail, those of a worried mother. "Go to her." Her voice barely above a whisper, "Please tell her we're here if she wants us." I could hear the distress and disappointment in her words. Like she wanted to be the one her daughter called for but giving her child at least one joy was enough. She hugged me tightly and then pushed me towards the nurse.

While Bailey's parents stayed in the waiting room, Happy got up and ambled after me down the hall. I could hear their protests but also Bailey's mom trying to calm her husband down. The nurse walked us to the room, lecturing me the whole way about keeping Bailey relaxed but talking to her to ease her mind. I was so nervous, not knowing exactly what to say to Bailey. _What if she was going to yell at me?_

Just outside the room, the deputy stopped us and motioned for me to spread my arms. He gave me a quick pat down and the looked at Happy. One shake of his head let the cop know he wasn't going in nor would the cop be touching him. The nurse opened the door and escorted me to her bed.

Bailey's eyes were closed and she looked so weak and vulnerable. My heart tightened as I watched the heart monitor beep. The woman nudged me to a chair and then left the room after giving me a hard look. I saw Happy's shaved head through the very small square window with gave me a little relief. Turning my attention back to Bailey, I sighed, trying to hold back the emotions that were driving me crazy.

Gently, I eased her hand into mine and squeezed as I sat down. The only thing I could do is be here for her when she woke up.

_Bailey's Dream_

_My eyes were closed but immediately snapped open when I felt the sharp blade against my neck. A man was kneeling over me, straddling my hips. My hands were tied together and he was holding them against my stomach as he leaned down and whispered, "I've missed you baby. Why have you been avoiding me?" _

_When he sat back up, I saw that it was Brett on top of me. His hands ran along my neck and down to my chest. I struggled to defend myself but he held me still. The knife moved up to my cheek as he smirked, "I know how you feel about that gangster. His biker ass doesn't deserve you. You belong with me." _

_I shrieked, as he pressed the knife harder into my skin, my flesh splitting apart as he did. "Please… please stop!"_

Juice's POV

I had been relaxed in the chair for about an hour, slumping slightly to get comfortable when I heard the sheets move and Bailey sob. Looking over, I saw her brow crinkle in pain and she was trying to cry out but nothing left her lips. She must be having a nightmare and seeing her like this was tearing me apart.

Carefully, I got up, still holding her hand as I touched her shoulder. Leaning down, I brushed my lips against her forehead and whispered, "Bailey? It's just a dream. Wake up, you're safe. I'm here for you…"

Her eyes fluttered open and she looked scared out of her mind. Her breaths came in wheezes and pants. "Ju-" She started.

She couldn't even finish my name, her chest must have been causing her too much agony. "It's ok Bailey, you don't have to speak. I'm here, baby. Just lay back, slow breaths."

I could feel her whole body shaking, making me wonder what her dream was about. Whatever it was had terrified her and all I wanted to do was comfort her. Her hand squeezed mine tightly, nearly cutting off my circulation. I had so many questions for her but I didn't want to press, to push her over the edge when she was so close already.

With our hands intertwined, she tugged, her eyes pleading with me. Nodding, I cautiously helped her move over and then slid onto the bed with her. I gently lifted her head and slipped my arm under. She was gasping for air but curled herself towards me as best she could. My free hand smoothed her hair away from her face as she rested her temple on my shoulder. It was killing me to see her so desperate and vulnerable. All I wanted was to see her safe and happy, and now because of me she was hurt, upset, and in the hospital. As her hand found its way under my cut and rested on my chest, gripping my shirt tightly as she tried to calm herself down, I slowly started to relax against her.

Sighing, I pressed my cheek to her hair, lucky and so glad that she was comfortable and trusted me enough to want me next to her. Like I was the only one who could make her feel better right now. My hands gently rubbed up and down her arm and back, and listening to her breathe somewhat unsteadily.

_Even though we've only just started dating, I knew she was the one. I couldn't imagine a future without her. The guys could give me all the shit they want but I couldn't let her go. I had to have her. And I'd do anything and everything to protect her, even avenging what happened to her._

Happy's POV And Thoughts

After several long hours of just sitting and waiting, a nurse came to get Juice to take him to the girl. _I was still pissed that Clay hadn't listened. No matter how small or insignificant each threat against the club was, we should be checking them all out. While we sat on our thumbs, this girl got hurt. I didn't know her but from what I saw: Juice really liked her and her parents were straight edged. The girl must really enjoy Juice's company to only want him with her. _

_There was no way I'd leave him alone and the only reason I wasn't standing outside the girls room was because the father looked like he wanted to chop both of our dicks off and because Unser said he was handling it. But when I went with Juice, the deputy didn't look like he could handle anything_. I slipped him a fifty and sent him for a long coffee break so I could take his spot outside the door.

A couple of hours later, I checked in on the two, mostly to make sure they were both still breathing. Juice was actually laying in bed with her, the chick was definitely a looker, but what I knew of Juice, he wasn't one to be only after good looks. His hands were possessively splayed across her back and upper body. _He must have felt guilty about the harm that came her way. I would have felt the same if something happened to my mother and aunt._

Easing the door back closed, I leaned against it. _Shit, what Clay did was downright stupid. He's never ignored something like that. Just because these kids are in high school, it doesn't mean that they don't get how our world works. Or that they don't face the same dangers we do. Today was just an example, what if it happens again?_

The nurse looked up at me, "So… do you think Mr. Ortiz will be able to get Miss Jones to let her parents in?"

I shrugged, "Dunno." She sighed and turned back to her paperwork, clearly wanting to ask me more questions but I wasn't exactly in the talkative mood.

_When the dust settles, I'm going to make sure that no one touches this girl or makes fun of Juice. The two don't deserve it, especially after the club disregarded the warning signs. Clay had to have known that the Mayans were getting restless and that this would blow over onto the high school kids. While I couldn't challenge him, I had my ways of making sure people knew where they stood with me. And right now, giving him and the others the cold shoulder, staying back with Juice, they knew I was pissed._

Bailey's POV

My whole body was exhausted and sore. I didn't want to move and I felt like I was hit several times by an eighteen wheeler. When I woke up to Juice standing over me, it felt like a weight had been lifted. Even though I couldn't breathe properly, I just wanted him to hold me. I knew I had to let my parents into the room eventually but right now, all I wanted was Juice to reassure me that it'd all be ok.

Tugging him onto the bed, he eased me over to one side of the bed before wrapping himself around me. I could feel his hands and lips pressing on my skin, hear his words murmur in my ears, just being next to him made me feel instantly better. After this whole ordeal, I knew that Juice wouldn't let anyone come near me.

After falling asleep against him, I slept peacefully. It was very noticeable that I didn't have a nightmare while pressed against him. When I finally came out of the foggy haze the drugs put me in, Juice was still there, his eyes closed like he was sleeping.

I shifted, trying to ease the pain pushing down on my chest. He must have felt me move because his eyes flew open, "Are you ok? Can I do anything?" Opening my mouth to answer him, nothing came out. I grimaced and shook my head. He slid out of the bed, "Bailey, I want to next to you as much as possible but what would be best for you is to lay flat. Let your ribs heal." I frowned but I understood where he was coming from.

Juice slowly sank into the chair pulled up right next to the bed but didn't let go of my hand. He squeezed my hand and I tried to smile at him. "Juice…" I managed to whisper.

He reached for a cup, "I asked the nurse to get you some ice water, thought it'd make you feel a little better?" My eyes must have lit up because he carefully held it out to me and raised the bent straw to my lips.

The cool liquid touched my lips, soothing my throat as I slowly sipped some of it. After easing it away and setting it back down on the table, I smiled at him, "Thanks."

Scooting even closer to me, his lips turned up into a small smile, "Bailey…" He paused. Juice looked like he was trying to collect his thoughts. "I'm so sorry…" His smile turned into a frown. "I should have been there. Gone with you. Made sure nothing happened to you. I'm so sorry…"

I could feel the tears welling up in my eyes and my breathing getting tougher. "Juice… I… You…" I groaned and cringed in pain, I couldn't find the words.

He placed his hand on my cheek, smoothing over my slightly pink skin and then tracing my lips with his thumbs, "Bailey, it's ok, don't try to talk. Just relax." He leaned in and lightly pressed his lips to my cheek and then against my own lips. "Are you sure you don't want you mom or dad? They're both in the waiting room…"

I tensed and shook my head, pushing him away slightly. "I. Don't. Please." I barely ground out. My chest was hurting too badly to communicate with him but I wanted him to know how I was feeling and how much I couldn't have my parents with me. They'd treat me like I'm a fragile little doll but I can't deal with that and the pain.

He sat silently, holding my hand and gently tracing his thumb over my palm. "Ok." Was all he said. He was clearly willing to do anything to keep me calm and happy. His demeanor seemed hesitant and I was sure that he wanted to ask me several questions about what happened.

I have no clue how much time had passed or what day it was. All I knew was that I felt like I'd never be the same. As my thoughts turned dark, I frowned and must have been squeezing his hand too tightly because he noticed and squeezed back just as hard. "Are you ok…? If you want to talk about it, I'm here for you."

After all of my thoughts, hearing Juice's voice made me snap back to reality. I wondered if he knew why I was attacked, "Why me?" I ask softly, hoping he would answer me.

His face told one story: that he might have known, that he had some guesses. But when he opened his mouth, another story came out: "I don't know…"

Juice looked guilty but maybe I was imagining things. I slumped into the pillows and got comfortable again, feeling so tired. After a few minutes, my eyes were closing again. I slept for a while, feeling at peace and comfortable, but mostly safe just having Juice nearby and holding my hand.

Juice's POV

_Seeing her so upset and unable to form words was heart breaking. I wanted to do anything to take the pain away from her and to make her forget everything that happened to her. If I couldn't get her to talk to me, would she talk to her parents? I wanted to respect her wishes but I knew what she needed, her parents_.

When I offered to let her talk to me about it, she simply shook her head and turned away from me. I frowned but let her be, knowing I couldn't force her to do it. I didn't have it in me to try. Bailey simply sat and thought to herself quietly and I was content to just sit and wait, holding her hand unwaveringly.

After fifteen minutes, her hand tightened around mine and I looked over at her, she was frowning and her brow was scrunched, like she was deep in thought. They couldn't have been good thoughts, she seemed more upset than before. "Are you ok…? If you want to talk about it, I'm here for you." I said calmly, trying to make sure my voice was steady.

Bailey lifted her head and looked at me, "Why me?"

I hung my head, knowing that it was my fault. That her involvement with me was the reason she got kidnapped. I was so grateful that her condition could have been worse but the fact that she went through it at all was eating away at me. "I don't know…" I lied, hating myself for it.

She turned her head again, as if she didn't believe me as she lay back more comfortably on her pillows, still gripping my hand. She slowly shut her eyes and fell back asleep.

I knew she was tired and needed to rest, that would be the only way she'd get through the pain she was in and the emotional trauma she had just been through. Patiently, I sat there, watching her sleep while holding her hand tightly.

It was late, dark, and I was tired but I would never sleep again until I knew Bailey would forgive me and until I knew she was safe. Happy was still standing against the door, guarding the two of us. My eyelids were heavy and I was slowly drifting off.

Suddenly the door opened and my eyes snapped open, my body tensing. It was Clay. I tried to relax but I was a bit rattled. He nodded, "How's she doin'?" He asked, his voice raspy and his question didn't seem sincere.

"She's in pain, Clay… and she keeps falling asleep. Whatever happened took a lot out of her." I replied hesitantly, my eyes looking up at him and then back at her.

He patted my shoulder, "C'mon, let's go get some coffee… My treat. I want to apologize."

I squeezed her hand and stood, leaning down to kiss her forehead before following Clay out of the room. Happy nodded and stayed put outside of her room. I was nervous to leave her alone and I was already anxious to get back to her side.

Bailey's POV

I fell asleep with Juice holding my hand and woke up to see a dark haired man above me with piercing blue eyes. His hands were rough as they shook my shoulders, barely aware that he was causing me more and more pain. "Wake up… come on…" He demanded.

I groaned and pushed his hands away, opening my mouth to scream for the nurse, "Hel-"

Before I could get out one word, he covered my mouth with his hand, "No… we can't have you yelling." I whimpered as I looked up at him, scared that he was there to kill me for getting away from my captors. His lips where in a tight line as he kept his hand over my mouth, "Now… I need to know what those men asked you. If you told them _anything_ about us." He growled, sounding angry and impatient.

I quickly shook my head, trying to mumble, "No I didn't. I swear!" But with his hand in the way, it sounded like grunts and moans. My eyes were wide with fear as tears started to spill down my cheeks.

He shook his head, "You better not have. And if Juice told you anything… If you tell Juice I was here…" The man made a motion across his throat, gesturing that he'd kill the both of us.

My body started shaking, so frightened by this man, I slowly shook my head, trying to hold it together and stay strong. I reached up and tried to push him away from me but he only held me down more. "Please, I promise…" I tried to tell him but his grip on my face was too tight.

The door crashed open and the man jumped, both of us looking at the doorway. Juice was standing there looking furious with a glare on his face, "Get the fuck away from her." He said as he hurried over to the man. Juice threw his body weight against him and shoved the stranger towards the door, blocking me from view as the man smirked at me and then left, closing the door behind him.

Juice's POV

I followed Clay obediently down the hall to the cafeteria, wondering if his apology would be real. I didn't have to wait long because as we found our way to the coffee station, he poured us both cups and spoke, "You know… I'm sorry for not listening. But you high school kids have to learn how this world works. Old ladies are a liability and telling them anything would endanger the both of you." He paused as I thought that over, trying to figure out what he was getting at. "I need to know if you told that little girl anything that could be used against us."

"Of course not! What you think I'm going to tell her all of our dirty secrets? I've been keeping her clear of everything and I will keep her in the dark!" I glared, getting riled up as Clay accused me of telling Bailey anything that she could have told the Mayans.

"Ok ok… No need to get mad… I was just askin'." He told me, holding up his hands to show that he didn't mean to hit a nerve.

I set down my coffee and crossed my arms, not wanting to be talking to him any longer. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Happy walking out to the parking lot. If he was leaving… who was watching Bailey?

Quickly brushing past Clay, I took off running back to her room. I almost got lost but I was frantic to get back to her. Rounding the corner, I barreled past doctors and nurses until I got to her room. The door was cracked open and I could see Tig standing there over her. I huffed with rage and I threw the door open and growled, "Get the fuck away from her."

Tig was looking up at me surprised, but his hand was still smashing down on Bailey's face and the other was holding her shoulders in place. I rushed towards him and it took my whole body to move him away from her. _I can't believe Clay and Tig pulled a fast one on me. Luring me away and then scaring Bailey more than she already was. Tig was lucky I didn't kill him right then and there._

He actually had the balls to grin at me and shoot Bailey a look as he left the room. As soon as the door was closed, I turned back to her and looked into her eyes, seeing her fear etched on her face. "I'm so sorry Bailey…" I whispered as I reached up to brush her hair out of her face.

She flinched and pulled away from me, making my chest ache. "W-Who was that?" She asked in a small voice, trying to calm herself down and take deep breaths.

I looked down, ashamed to tell her but I knew I had to. "Tig. He's one of my 'brothers' and he was scheming to get details out of you. I'm so sorry that I fell so it. I promise I won't ever leave your side again." I wiped a tear from my eye, trying to keep myself from breaking down. I had to be strong for her.

Her eyes were staring at her lap but I could see how upset she was. After a few minutes, she slowly took my hand and squeezed, not saying a word.

I sighed and sat down next to her, wanting to give her any relief I could.

Bailey's POV

After Juice got this 'Tig' guy to leave, I was so shaken up that I couldn't say a word. I was too lost in thought. All I knew was that Juice was here and I needed him to make me feel better. He sat next to me and held my hand, clearly wanting to do more but unsure of himself.

"J-Juice? What if this happens again?" I whispered softly, wondering out loud if this was truly over.

I felt him tighten his grip on my hand but his voice was calm, "It won't. I won't let it. I promise you that I will protect you and make sure nothing else happens to you. You're mine and I'll never let anyone hurt you again. I shouldn't have let this happen in the first place. I feel so terrible about it… I hope you can forgive me…" His voice trailed off in the last few words.

I looked up at him, tears in my eyes, "Of course… but I don't see how it was your fault…"

He gently wiped the tears from my eyes, "I will make this up to you. I promise." As he whispered these words to me, he slowly leaned in and kissed my lips.

I smiled into his sweet kiss and felt a weight being lifted from my shoulders. "Maybe tomorrow I should talk to my parents…"

Juice nodded, "They've been in the waiting room, giving you space. I know they'd love to see you." He said almost carefully to me.

"I know… I just… I couldn't…" I started to cry again, still so broken after what those men did. _I feel ridiculous_. Obviously the situation could have been so much worse but I was still hurting emotionally.

Juice's POV

Once I got Bailey to relax after Tig broke into her room, I tried to reassure her that I would keep her safe and that she was mine. But I don't think she was taking me seriously. _I meant every word I said, I would never let anyone hurt her again and that she was mine. Like hell someone was going to take my girl and hurt her again. I was still so mad and wanting to get retaliation for what they did to her but I had to make sure she knew this would never happen again. That I would be there for her from now on._

Bailey had finally agreed she should talk to her parents but there was no way I would let Unser in there to talk to her. Her voice sounded so vulnerable and like she would shatter if the slightest breeze brushed against her skin. I held her hand tighter, trying to make her feel protected and secure. It barely took her five more minutes to fall back asleep.

The door opened again and I looked up worried and nearly scared. Happy was in the doorway and he looked pissed. He stalked into the room and placed a small bouquet of flowers on the table nearby. His lips were tight and his body was tense. Stopping to look me in the eyes he growled, "I'm sorry. Tig told me that Clay needed me in the parking lot. I won't fall for that bullshit again. Is she ok?"

I was a bit taken aback because this wasn't typical Happy behavior. He actually apologized to me and was asking about Bailey. I looked at her and then back at him, "She'll be ok, I think…"

"If you ever need anything, let me know." He then turned on his heel and left the room, shutting the door behind him and standing in front of it.

_This was something that I knew happened once in a blue moon. I was so grateful that he was trying to help Bailey and me. He was so loyal and having him on my side would definitely help a lot. If I ever got separated from her, I know I could trust him with her. How protective he was of her at Gemma's house showed a lot. The only women he was kind to were his mother, aunt, and the old ladies. Happy must have known that I was going to make Bailey my old lady when we got old enough_.

By the time morning came, I was exhausted. I barely slept more than twenty minutes. Seeing Bailey in bed made it impossible for me to relaxing and get comfortable. Every time I closed my eyes I saw her dangling in midair. Letting out a sigh, I wiped at my eyes. A light knock echoed through the room, making me perk up and tense, about to protect Bailey no matter who came through that door.

A doctor slowly walked in, "Excuse me? I need to check on her vitals."

I nodded and backed away slightly to let the man closer to her. My eyes watched him carefully, making sure he wouldn't do something wrong. I will never trust another man around her again. He wrote a few things down and then left the room. As he did I felt the pressure ease off my chest but my hand was still tight around hers.

An hour later, I watched Bailey wake up and slowly look around as if she was groggy and in some pain. I squeezed her hand, "Hey beautiful…" I whispered as I leaned down to press my lips to her palm.

The smile she gifted me lit up the room. I smiled back as she softly replied, "Hi handsome."

I leaned forward and rested my elbow on her bed, "How are you feelin'?"

She shrugged, "A little better…"

I could tell she was still sedated, her eyes a bit droopy as she looked at me. "Good, I'm glad. Do you want to see your parents today?" I asked, knowing that if they came in here, I might have to leave the room. I wasn't about to let her father see us so intimate.

Bailey looked deep in thought before nodding and whispering, "Ok."

I got up as I moved forward to kiss her forehead and then lips, "I know they'll be happy to see you. I'll go get them ok? In the mean time, Happy is right outside the door. You'll be safe with him." I waited until she gave me the ok, a slight nod, before leaving the room to find her parents.

Bailey's POV

I slowly woke up in the morning and still felt so tired. Juice was still right there by my side, which made me smile. _Having him so close to me and watching over me it makes me feel a lot better. But I know he needs a break. He must be so tired and he doesn't look like he slept at all._

I finally nodded and agreed to let my parents come see me. _They must be so worried and upset. I just hope they won't be too overbearing…_ Juice left me with Happy standing outside. Thinking back, he's the one who made sure nothing happened to me or the other girls when Brett and Juice got into it. _He must be a guard for the club._ I thought as I settled back into the bed.

A few minutes later, my mom burst through the door and came straight to my bed and hugged me so tight, I thought I stopped breathing. "Ow, mom please…" I whimpered as my father gently eased her off of me.

He smiled down at me, "Good to see you awake sweetheart."

My mom only nodded and squeezed my hand and arm. I looked over at her and smiled, "I love you both."

"We're so glad you're ok." She whispered as she sat down next to me.

My father stood behind her and crossed his arms over his chest, "Honey… we were so worried…" His voice was breaking up and I knew it pained him to be so vulnerable. He thought it made him look weak. "I shouldn't have let you go alone…" He choked out.

I shook my head, "Daddy… please. It's not your fault." I whispered, unsure what to say. I looked towards to door, wondering if Juice was coming back. "And it wasn't Juan's either." I added as I looked back at both of them.

My mother looked down while my father cleared his throat, "Look, I know that you have a… an infatuation with him. But your mother and I don't understand why you want to be associated with him and his friends."

I glared at my lap, tears welling up in my eyes, "They're not what you think." I whispered as I tried not to cry. I couldn't let them keep me from Juice. There were so many sparks between us. It's something that you know is real, no matter what your age.

My mom nudged him, "Enough. Let's just focus on recovery." She smiled at me, "We love you so very much sweetie." Looking up at my father she smiled, "Darling, go get us some breakfast."

He kissed my forehead before leaving the cafeteria. While the door closed behind him, I managed to catch a glimpse of Happy but no Juice. I frowned until my mom caught my attention again, "Honey? Are you doing alright?"

I blinked a few times as I looked at her and tried to figure out what to say. "Mom, I'm fine. At least I will be." I paused before continuing, "Please… it wasn't Juan. It was just…"

"An unfortunate event." She finished for me. "Don't worry. I know it wasn't his fault or yours. I know that those men who attacked you will burn in hell but right now, I'm just worried about you."

I nodded and let the tears spill out of my eyes. "I'm so sorry mom." I whispered.

She squeezed my hand, "Shh… honey, it's ok." She got up and sat on the edge of the bed, putting her arms around me and holding me to her. I gripped her shirt while she gently rocked me back and forth. "I promise… everything will be ok." Her comfort was very soothing but I couldn't stop the tears. I still didn't feel like myself and I felt so scared every moment.

My father came back and was carrying a tray filled with food and drinks. "I got all your favorites, I hope." He said with a halfhearted chuckle.

As he set the tray down I saw that he had tried his best to cheer me up. I picked up a piece of toast and started to nibble at it. "Thanks Daddy…" I whispered.

Juice's POV

As I left Bailey's room, I made sure that Happy was staying at the door before walking down the hall to the waiting room. Mr. Jones was pacing the room while Mrs. Jones was sitting in a chair, sobbing. I felt so bad and like I was walking towards my death. Once I entered the room, Bailey's father glared at me while her mother looked up as if I held her fate in my hands.

Clearing my throat, I rubbing the back of my neck, "Mr. and Mrs. Jones? Bailey is awake and says it's ok for you to go see her."

Her father barreled past me without a word but her mother stood and hugged me, "Thank you for keeping her company." She squeezed me before leaving me in the waiting room.

I sighed and felt better now that I managed to convince Bailey to let her parents into her room. Trudging back to Happy, I caught his eye, "Thank Hap. I really appreciate it."

He nodded and patted my shoulder, "Don't worry about it. You gonna go in there?" He motioned towards Bailey's room.

I shook my head, "Nah… I gotta let her parents have so time with her. Can you do me a favor?" He looked at me questioningly as I continued, "I'm gonna go take a shower and change so her parents aren't mad about my cut…"

Happy chuckled, "The things we do for chicks huh?"

I grinned, "Yep. Alright, stay here, I'll be back in less than half an hour."

"Will do." He said as he leaned against the wall next to the door.

I quickly left the hospital and walked home. _Good thing my mom's house isn't very far. I know my mom is either going to be passed out or asking me a million questions._ I rolled my eyes as I dug my keys out of my pocket and ran to the house.

No more than twenty minutes later I was on my way back to the hospital, wearing nicer jeans, a light blue plaid shirt, my yankees hat, and my boots. I decided to bring my cut but not wear it. I'd just have Happy hold it for me. I sighed as I walked back into the sterile environment, feeling exhausted but not wanting to be apart from Bailey for too much longer.

I found Happy exactly where I left him and found myself relieved. "Hey Hap. Thanks for everything." I patted his back as I stood next to him. "Why don't you go take a break, I'll text you if I need any more help."

He nodded and then took off. I knew he was tired and that I could hopefully handle things until tonight. There I stood outside of Bailey room, alone, listening to her parents talk about how she should be more careful. I vowed right then and there that I'd always be there to protect her, no matter what and make sure she got everything she always wanted.


	15. Note to the Readers

Hello Reader,

I am so sorry that it took me so long to update. I've hit a hard time (the guy I was seeing cheated on me plus my aunt and cat passed away) and it's just so hard to write a love story when you feel so terribly betrayed and upset. I feel as though I've hit a major mental block and I cannot think.

I'm incredibly sad that Season 5 has come to an end but Kurt Sutter blew my mind with every moment of it. I cannot wait until next September!

I love writing and being creative. I love coming up with stories and plot twists about Sons Of Anarchy. I love getting emails and reviews. I want to thank ALL of you who read this story.

Now to the really sad part...

I want to continue writing and finish out this story… but I don't know how much time I'll have. So this may be the last chapter.

I'm sorry to all those who favorited and reviewed this story. But I'll admit, the other story I wrote was much easier to keep flowing. I may have bitten off more than I can chew with this one, especially with everything else going on in my life. One day I will write again but that day will not be as soon as I would hope it would be. I hope that when I can continue this story, you will all be there to read and review.

Thank you so much for reading and all of your support! I hope you enjoyed everything.

-Jennifer11


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